Stefan Pfeiffer

Stefan Pfeiffer is Professor of Ancient History at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, where he holds the Chair of Ancient History within the Faculty of Philosophy I and the Seminar for Ancient History. Previously, he served as Professor for Antiquity and Europe at Chemnitz University of Technology (2010-2013), where he also acted as Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy from 2012-2013. He has held visiting professorships at institutions including Montpellier (2018), Paris (2021), and Macquarie University in Sydney (2025).

His academic background includes a Magister Artium in History, Egyptology and Classical Archaeology (2001) and a doctorate in Ancient History with specialization in Egyptology and Papyrology (2004), both from the University of Trier, where he also completed his Habilitation in Ancient History (2007). His early career included research positions in the Collaborative Research Center 'Foreigners and the Poor' at the University of Trier (2002-2008) and academic appointments at Mannheim and Münster universities.

Professor Pfeiffer's research focuses on the complex interplay between Greek, Roman, and Egyptian cultures during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. His work examines ruler cults, religious syncretism, multicultural societies in Greco-Roman Egypt, and multilingual texts including the Decree of Canopus and the victory stela of C. Cornelius Gallus. His monographs and edited volumes explore topics ranging from emperor worship in Alexandria to Ptolemaic ruler cults and cultural identity in the Greco-Roman world.

His publication record demonstrates consistent scholarly engagement with imperial cults, religious practices, and cultural integration in ancient Egypt. His most recent works continue to explore the political and religious dimensions of Greco-Roman Egypt, with particular attention to epigraphical evidence and multicultural dynamics.

Professor Pfeiffer serves in several significant editorial capacities, including as co-editor of the Journal of Egyptian Language and Archaeology (ZÄS), member of the editorial boards for Prague Egyptological Studies (PES) and Journal of Egyptian History (JEH), and co-editor of the Munich Contributions to Papyrus Research and Legal History. Since 2025, he has been a full member of the Saxon Academy of Sciences in Leipzig.