Lisa Hanstein

Lisa Hanstein is a Researcher and Academic Librarian at the Library of the Kunsthistorisches Institute in Florence, part of the Max Planck Society. She has been working at the institute since 2004, initially as a research assistant and later advancing to her current position as scientific staff member of the library since 2022.

• PhD in Art History from Goethe University Frankfurt am Main (2015)
• Master of Library and Information Science from Humboldt University Berlin (2018)
• Master's degree in Art History, Psychology, and Romance Literature (2004)

Her research focuses on Futurism, Italian art from 1900-1940, art theory, and outsider art. She specializes in early 20th century Italian artistic movements, particularly examining the intersection of science and art history during this period. Her work involves creating digital research archives and documenting historical artistic productions.

Dr. Hanstein has developed significant research projects including a digital archive for Futurism in Florence and studies on Edyth von Haynau, exploring connections between spiritualism, futurism, and science fiction. Her work bridges library science with art historical research, focusing on documentation and accessibility of historical materials.

• Ulrich Hahn Prize for her Master's thesis

As an Academic Librarian, she supports researchers through the institute's renowned library collections while actively contributing to digital humanities projects. Her dual expertise in art history and library science enables her to develop specialized research resources and digital archives that enhance scholarly access to materials related to Italian art history.

She leads initiatives documenting Florentine cultural heritage including coats of arms of Florentine families, churches, and confraternities, as well as topographical representations of Florence. Her work on the perception of classical antiquity through ancient coins demonstrates her interdisciplinary approach connecting art history with numismatics.