Peter Funke

Professor Peter Funke is a Senior Professor of Ancient History at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, where he leads the Cluster of Excellence 'Religion and Politics in Premodernity and Modernity' and directs the Seminar für Alte Geschichte. He has held significant academic leadership roles, including serving as Vice President of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and as a member of numerous international scholarly committees. His research focuses on ancient state systems, religious history, and historical geography, with particular expertise in ancient Greek federalism and interstate relations.

Funke's academic journey includes a Habilitation from the University of Cologne (1985) and a PhD from the same institution (1978). His career spans over four decades, during which he has held professorships at the University of Siegen and Münster, and has directed major research initiatives like the SFB 1776 and the Cluster of Excellence.

His research interests are centered on the political and religious dynamics of ancient Greek states, including studies on federal leagues like the Aetolian and Achaean confederations. He has authored or edited over 150 publications, including seminal works on Hellenistic political structures and the role of sanctuaries in governance.

Funke has been awarded prestigious honors such as the Ausonius-Preis (2019) and the Kongress-Preis (2019), and is a member of institutions like the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences. His advisory roles include leading the German Archaeological Institute's Athen branch and serving on editorial boards for journals like Klio and Digitales Classicist Online.

In addition to his academic work, Funke has supervised numerous doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, contributing to the training of the next generation of ancient historians. His interdisciplinary projects incorporate digital humanities methodologies, exemplified by his work on the Inscriptiones Graecae corpus.