Katharina Gahbler

Dr. Katharina Gahbler is a Researcher in the Department of Medieval History at the University of Bonn, where she has maintained continuous academic affiliation since 2013. She currently serves as research assistant in the Medieval History Section and managing director of the 'Power and Domination. Bonn Center for Premodern Orders and their forms of communication', building on her prior leadership role in the Collaborative Research Center 1167.

Education:

• 2006-2012: Studies in Medieval and Modern History, Social Anthropology (specializing in Anthropology of the Americas), and Catholic Theology (Fundamental Theology) at the University of Bonn
• 2012-2018: Doctoral studies in Medieval and Modern History at the University of Bonn, culminating in a PhD dissertation titled "Between Salvation History and Political Propaganda. Representations and Patterns of Representation of Saracens from the Time of Otto I"

Research Focus: Dr. Gahbler's work centers on the intersection of power structures, gender dynamics, and religious othering in premodern societies. Her scholarship critically examines how medieval Christian sources constructed enemy identities, particularly regarding Saracens, while analyzing monastic economic systems and socio-economic dependencies through gendered lenses.

Her recent publications reveal a methodological trend combining historical source criticism with anthropological and gender theory frameworks. This interdisciplinary approach manifests in studies analyzing Saracen representations through salvation history narratives, power structures through Bourdieu's domination theory, and gender orders in hagiographic texts – demonstrating how medieval communication systems reinforced political and religious hierarchies.

Research Leadership: Dr. Gahbler has directed significant research infrastructure including the Collaborative Research Center 1167's data management (2018-2021) and currently leads the Bonn Center for Premodern Orders. As a TRA 5 Present Pasts member since 2020, she contributes to transdisciplinary research on historical continuity and change, with ongoing projects examining premodern power configurations through transcultural perspectives.