Philipp Merkel

Philipp Merkel is a research associate and doctoral candidate at the Department of Medieval History at the University of Bonn, specializing in premodern power structures and nobility. His academic journey includes a Bachelor of Arts (2012-2016) and Master of Arts (2016-2020) in History, with a focus on general history. Since 2022, he has been a research associate at the DFG-funded project Pillars of Royal Rule: Queens and Princes in the East Frankish-German Realm and managing director of the Bonner Zentrum für vormoderne Ordnungen.

• Education
  • Bachelor of Arts in History and Politics and Society, University of Bonn (2012-2016)
  • Master of Arts in History (focus: general history), University of Bonn (2016-2020)

Research Focus: Merkel's work examines the East Frankish-German realm (9th-12th centuries), with primary interests in nobility elites, Mittelgewalten (intermediate powers), family and kinship systems, memory culture, and Rhineland regional history. His current dissertation project, Ausgewählte Adelsfamilien des 10. und 11. Jahrhunderts: Die Ezzonen im Vergleich, compares Ezzonen noble families across transnational frameworks.

Publications: His output includes an upcoming article on the Ezzones’ imperial power role, a 2023 review of post-Carolingian power dynamics, and two 2022 conference reports analyzing premodern summits and the Treaty of Bonn 921.

Projects: He contributes to the Collaborative Research Center 1167 Macht and Herrschaft – Premodern Configurations in a Transcultural Perspective and the DFG project Pillars of Royal Rule, integrating digital humanities and interdisciplinary methodologies.