Klaus Geus

Prof. Dr. Klaus Geus is a University Professor for Historical Geography of the Ancient Mediterranean at the Friedrich Meinecke Institute, Department of History and Cultural Studies, Free University of Berlin. Appointed to his current position on April 22, 2009, he has established himself as a leading scholar in ancient geography, cartography, and related fields of classical studies.

His research spans multiple dimensions of ancient geographical knowledge, with particular focus on ancient sciences (especially geography, astronomy, metrology, and mathematics), Armenia, ancient East and North Africa, utopian concepts, and ancient historiography (particularly Herodotus and Polyainos). He has made significant contributions to understanding the reception history of ancient astronomy and geography across different cultural contexts, including the Latin West of the 15th and 16th centuries and the Oriental Middle Ages (Syrian, Arab, and Armenian traditions).

Prof. Geus's scholarly output reveals a clear trajectory of increasingly sophisticated analysis of ancient geographical texts and concepts, with recent work focusing on 'common sense geography,' cognitive mapping in historical texts, and the intersection of spatial understanding with textual representation. His publications demonstrate exceptional command of both primary sources and theoretical frameworks for analyzing ancient geographical knowledge systems.

• Preis für gute Lehre 2002 (Award for Good Teaching 2002) from the Bavarian Ministry of Science, Research and Arts
• Senior Fellow at the Excellence Cluster 'Topoi' (Berlin)
• Research Fellow of the Gerda Henkel Foundation (2005-2009)

As a dedicated educator and researcher, Prof. Geus has supervised numerous doctoral students and contributed significantly to the academic community through his extensive publications, conference participation, and collaborative research projects. His work bridges traditional philological approaches with innovative methodological perspectives, making important contributions to our understanding of how ancient peoples conceptualized and represented space and geography.