معرفی
Prof. Dr. Maximilian Benz is a Professor of German Literature of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period at the Faculty of Linguistics and Literature, University of Bielefeld. He serves as a member of the Steering Committee for Collaborative Research Center 1288 "Practices of Comparison: Ordering and Changing the World" and is an associate member of research on Practices of Self-Comparison in Late Medieval and Early Modern Literature.
- 2003-2009: Studies in German and Classical Philology and Educational Sciences at LMU München and HU Berlin
- 2009: State Examination (Studienrat qualification) in Berlin
- 2009-2012: Lecturer at the Institute for Classical Philology and German Literature, HU Berlin
- 2012: Research Assistant at LMU München; Doctorate at HU Berlin
- 2012-2020: Senior Research Assistant at University of Zurich
- 2015: Guest Professor at FU Berlin
- 2018-2019: Substitute Professor at University of Bielefeld
- 2019: Habilitation at University of Zurich
- 2020: Accepted into the Heisenberg Program of the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Prof. Benz's research focuses on the intersection of literature, religion, and society during the medieval and early modern periods. His work particularly examines confessionalization processes, the Reformation and piety movements, travel literature, and the relationship between religious practices and literary expressions. His approach integrates historical, literary, and cultural perspectives to understand how religious identities were formed and expressed through literary works of the period.
- Acceptance into the prestigious Heisenberg Program of the German Research Foundation (DFG) in 2020
Prof. Benz actively contributes to academic governance as a member of the Senate group of university teachers and serves on the Commission for Research and Young Researchers. He also participates in the Center for Uncertainty Studies (CeUS) at Bielefeld University, bringing humanities perspectives to interdisciplinary discussions about uncertainty in historical and cultural contexts. His leadership extends to multiple committees including the Faculty Conference, Habilitation Committee, and Commission for Teaching and Student Affairs where he shapes academic policy and educational approaches in German literary studies.
His teaching responsibilities include modules on Older German Language and Literature, Authors Works Discourses, and supervision of bachelor's and master's theses, with a focus on professional orientation in Science, Public Sphere, and Media.
