معرفی
Professor Robert Kirstein is a distinguished scholar in the Department of Classics at the University of Tübingen's Faculty of Humanities, where he has served as Full Professor since 2018. His academic career spans multiple institutions including Münster, Bonn, and Oxford, with significant research periods at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign through prestigious Humboldt Foundation fellowships. As Liaison Professor for the German Academic Scholarship Foundation since 2015 and Corresponding Member of the German Archaeological Institute since 2021, he maintains extensive scholarly networks across Europe.
Professor Kirstein's research interests focus on Latin Literature of the Hellenistic and Roman Age, with particular expertise in Ovid, Bucolic poetry, and Late Antiquity (especially Paulinus of Nola). His work bridges traditional philological approaches with contemporary narratological theory, creating innovative frameworks for understanding ancient texts. He has pioneered the application of narrative theory to Latin literature through his founding of the Tübingen Working Group 'Narrative Dynamics in Latin Literature' and co-editing the influential Brill's Narratological Commentaries on Ancient Texts series.
His recent scholarly output demonstrates a clear trajectory toward interdisciplinary exploration, particularly examining ambiguity in literary texts, the intersection of law and narrative, and strategic hybridizations between fact and fiction in ancient literature. This work connects classical studies with broader theoretical frameworks in cultural studies and literary theory, creating dialogues between ancient texts and contemporary analytical approaches.
- Feodor Lynen Research Fellow (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation)
- Corresponding Member of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI Berlin)
- Member and Tutor of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation
- Member of German Society of Humboldtians
- Member of European Narratology Network
Professor Kirstein has supervised numerous doctoral and habilitation projects, with particular emphasis on narrative techniques in Latin literature. His leadership extends to significant research initiatives including the Tübingen-Durham 'Latin Text Collections' project, the Research Training Group 1808 on Ambiguity, and the Promotionsverbund 'Theorie der Balance.' His editorial work spans multiple series including Brill's Narratological Commentaries and Roma aeterna, reflecting his commitment to advancing scholarly discourse in classical studies. The department's Forschungsstelle Spätantike/Frühmittelalter serves as a hub for his collaborative research on late antique literature and culture.
