معرفی
Dr. Marco Heiles is a Research Fellow at the Center for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC) at the University of Hamburg, where he serves as Project Lead for RFK03: Magical Written Artefacts in Late-Medieval German Instructional Literature (2023-2025) within the Cluster of Excellence 'Understanding Written Artefacts' (2019-2025). His scholarly work bridges manuscript studies with material analysis of historical documents, focusing particularly on German-language written artifacts from the late medieval period.
Dr. Heiles' research interests center on the materiality and function of written artifacts, with particular expertise in geomantic manuscripts, fortune-telling books (Losbücher), and magical instructional literature from 15th-16th century Germany. His methodological approach combines traditional philological analysis with material science techniques to investigate how these texts were produced, used, and transmitted. His work demonstrates how seemingly marginal texts like geomancy manuals provide crucial insights into medieval knowledge systems and cultural practices.
His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward interdisciplinary analysis of written artifacts, with increasing emphasis on material investigation methods alongside textual scholarship. His work on multispectral imaging of the Zürcher Liebesbrief and material analysis of the Neidhart corpus demonstrates his commitment to integrating scientific methodologies with traditional manuscript studies.
- Petra Kappert Fellow (April-September 2018)
Dr. Heiles has secured significant research funding through the Cluster of Excellence 'Understanding Written Artefacts' at the University of Hamburg, where he leads project RFK03 on magical written artifacts. His collaborative approach is evident in numerous co-authored publications and interdisciplinary projects that bring together scholars from manuscript studies, material science, and digital humanities. His work contributes to the CSMC's broader mission of developing new methodologies for the study of written artifacts across cultures and historical periods.
As a member of the CSMC research community, Dr. Heiles participates in the center's collaborative laboratory environment, which includes specialized facilities such as the Visual Manuscript Analysis Lab and the Data Linking Lab, supporting his interdisciplinary research on written artifacts.
