Ruth Egger

Ruth Egger is a Research Assistant and Doctoral Student in Early Modern History at the Department of History, University of Tübingen since 2023. She is part of the Early Modern History team within the Faculty of Humanities, working alongside professors specializing in early modern history.

Her educational background includes a Master of Letters (MLitt) in Art History: Dress and Textile Histories from the University of Glasgow (2018-2019), where she completed her thesis titled 'Mapping Dress and Identity. The Costumed Figures in John Speed's Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine, 1611-1612.' She also holds a Magistra (Mag.) in Celtic Studies from the University of Vienna (2008-2014), with her diploma thesis focusing on 'Fairies, Witches, and the Devil. The Interface between Elite Demonology and Folk Belief in Early Modern Scottish Witchcraft Trials.'

Egger's research centers on Early Modern Cultural History with specialization in Dress and Textile Histories, Visual and Material Culture, and Museums and Collections. Her work explores how dress and textiles functioned as cultural artifacts in early modern European collections, particularly examining cross-cultural exchanges between Europe and other regions. She investigates how objects from Africa and the Americas were collected, interpreted, and recontextualized within European cabinets of curiosities during the 16th-18th centuries.

Her publications and conference presentations reveal a consistent focus on early modern European material culture, particularly regarding the collection and reinterpretation of dress and textiles from Africa and the Americas in European contexts. Egger examines how these objects were translated across cultural boundaries and how their meanings were transformed when incorporated into European collections. Her work bridges museum studies, art history, and cultural history to provide new insights into early modern collecting practices.

Egger is an active member of several professional organizations including CIETA (Centre International d'Etude des Textiles Anciens) in France, The Costume Society and The Association of Dress Historians in the UK, and Netzwerk Mode Textil in Germany. Her museum experience includes curatorial positions at the Landesmuseum Württemberg and Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin, where she contributed to exhibitions including 'unschwäbisch-pompös. 125 Jahre Landesgewerbemuseum' (2021-2022) and 'A Matter of Taste. Exemplary Design around 1900' (2021-2022).