Katharina Waldner

Prof. Dr. Katharina Waldner is Professor of General Religious Studies at the University of Erfurt, where she has held the professorship since 2009. She serves as Dean of Studies for the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and is the Seminar Speaker for Religious Studies. Additionally, she is an Associate Fellow at the Max Weber Center for Advanced Cultural and Social Sciences. Her academic journey includes a Licentiate (1993) and Doctorate (1997) from the University of Zurich in Greek Studies, Latin Studies, and Classical Archaeology, with her doctoral thesis focusing on gender and initiation rituals in ancient Greek polis culture.

Waldner's research explores the intersection of religion, culture, and society in antiquity, with particular emphasis on:

• Early Christian martyrdom narratives and their cultural contexts
• Gender dynamics in ancient religious practices
• Ritual theory and performance in Greco-Roman traditions
• Spatial and temporal dimensions of religious experience
• The aesthetics of religious power and authority
• Transformation of religious identities in imperial contexts

Her publications demonstrate consistent focus on martyrdom discourses, ritual practices, and the spatial organization of religious phenomena across the ancient Mediterranean world.

Waldner maintains memberships in the German Association for Religious Studies (DVRW), Swiss Association for Religious Studies (SGR/SSSR), and the Network LehrehochN: The Alliance for University Teaching.