Team
Coordination
Dr. Alrun Schmidtke
Research Coordinator
alrun.schmidtke@hu-berlin.de
As a historian of science, I have worked on the history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century academic publishing and late nineteenth-century scientific exhibitions. After finishing my dissertation on the “journalization” of science publishing, I went into applied history and worked at Germany’s federal museum of contemporary history, Stiftung Haus der Geschichte.
Kristina Westphal
Administrative Coordinator
kristina.westphal@hu-berlin.de
Research Staff
Lisa Blum
Predoctoral Researcher
lisa.blum@hu-berlin.de
I am a PhD student at the Center for Advanced Studies “Applied Humanities” at the Humboldt-Universität. Before coming to Berlin, I studied history and philosophy in Tübingen, Uppsala, and Cambridge, focusing on twentieth-century ethics and its history, traces of the colonial past in Europe, and historical responsibility.
“Practical Ethics” in Anglophone Philosophy, 1960s–1990s
My doctoral research examines the history of “practical ethics” in Anglophone philosophy from the late 1960s to the 1990s. Conceived as an intellectual history of the second half of the twentieth century, the project has two interrelated aims. First, it asks how the changing historical and political contexts of the period enabled different forms of theorizing in academic philosophy. Second, it explores the impact of a new generation of “practical philosophers” on contemporary political discourses in Western Europe and North America.
Dr. Niki Rhyner
Postdoctoral Researcher
niki.rhyner@hu-berlin.de
I am a historian of science with a focus on cultural anthropology. Prior to joining “Applied Humanities,” I completed my doctoral thesis at ETH Zurich, writing on the interactions between ethnographic field research and economic development in Europe (1950–1995). I also work on the histories of science and activism and academic publishing.
Publishing and the Humanities Beyond the Market University:
A Hybrid History
This project investigates the fortunes of small publishing initiatives since the 1960s. In this period, the humanities experienced a “golden age” of academic and popular publishing followed by a decline in bibliographic diversity that is closely tied to the rise of digitization and Open Access. To understand how the practices of humanities scholars shaped the emerging infrastructures of today’s hybrid publishing landscape, I combine traditional archive-based scholarship with experimental research, taking the scholar-led initiative intercomverlag as a site for the applied investigation of DIY practices. Overall, the project aims to situate the digital humanities in the publishing worlds of the recent past.
Lindiwe Breuer
Predoctoral Researcher
l.breuer@hu-berlin.de
After a Bachelors in philosophy and cultural studies at Universität Leipzig, I completed my Masters in the philosophy and history of science at TU Berlin. There, I worked on the research project “Reversed History of Collections,” contributing a paper on the “first German elephant.” As an art educator, I have worked in institutions including the Gropius Bau.
Dr. Alejandra Osorio Tarazona
Postdoctoral Researcher
alejandra.osorio@hu-berlin.de
I am a historian specializing in science and technology, with a particular focus on Latin American history. I have worked as a postdoctoral scholar at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin, and as a doctoral fellow in the project “A Global History of Technology,” Technische Universität Darmstadt.
Indigenismo Reviewed: A History of Its Practical Application and Impact in Peru
My project examines the interdisciplinary, applied, and instrumental nature of “Indigenismo” in Peru. This artistic and intellectual movement, which emerged in the early twentieth century, focused on the study and representation of Indigenous peoples and cultures, while also advocating for the inclusion of Indigenous people in nation-building efforts. I explore the movement’s present-day impact in educational and cultural institutions and its influence on research methodologies and academic debates. I am also interested in criticisms of Indigenismo for its idealized portrayal of Indigenous people, and the new theoretical frameworks and political demands that have challenged the movement’s legacy.