Nicole Priesching

Prof. Dr. Nicole Priesching is Professor of Church and Religious History at the Institute for Catholic Theology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Paderborn. She has held this position since February 2012 and previously served as Institute Director (2013-2018) and Deputy Institute Director (2018-2021). Her academic career spans over two decades with significant contributions to church history, particularly in modern Catholicism, mysticism, and religious history.

Her educational background includes a Diplom in Catholic Theology from Tübingen (1999), Magister in Modern History (2002), and doctorate in theology with her dissertation on Maria von Mörl (1812–1868). She completed her habilitation at the University of Münster in 2009 and was appointed Privatdozentin for Modern Church History.

Prof. Priesching's research focuses on Church History, Religious History, Ultramontanism, History of Mysticism, History of Slavery in Religious Context, Women's History in Religious Context, and History of Religious Orders. Her work often examines the intersection of religious experience, institutional history, and cultural contexts, with particular attention to German Catholicism in the 19th and 20th centuries. She has conducted extensive research on figures like Maria von Mörl and Cardinal Lorenz Jaeger.

Her recent publications show a clear trend toward contemporary church history, particularly addressing historical analysis of abuse in the Church, ecumenism, and the role of women in Catholicism. The multi-volume work on Cardinal Lorenz Jaeger demonstrates her methodological approach combining biographical research with institutional history. Her scholarship often bridges historical analysis with contemporary theological concerns, particularly regarding church governance and institutional responsibility.

Prof. Priesching leads significant research projects including the DFG-funded project "Das mütterlich starke Empfinden geht durch wirklich erworbenes Bildungsgut nicht verloren." Akademisierung und Professionalisierung von Frauen and two major projects on abuse in the Archdiocese of Paderborn covering different historical periods (1941-2002 and 2002-2022).

She serves as Chair of the Commission for Church History in the Archdiocese of Paderborn and is on the Board of the Commission for Contemporary History in Bonn. Her academic leadership extends to directing research projects on Cardinal Lorenz Jaeger (2017-2022) and earlier work on theology and slavery.

Prof. Priesching collaborates with various research teams including the Center for Comparative Theology and Cultural Studies (ZeKK) and has directed multiple research projects examining different aspects of Catholic history in Germany.