You head the Franz Nabl Institute for Literary Research and the Literaturhaus Graz, which is a wonderful combination of research, teaching and current literary activity. What is the most valuable thing about this job for you and your research?
My tasks here in Graz combine many different areas, but in an ideal scenario they all have a connection. One of the most beautiful moments I have experienced so far was when a student of mine was on her way out after an event in a packed Literaturhaus, and she said loudly and clearly and without any irony in my direction: "Thank you, Professor, for making us come to this event today!
How do you see the status of Austrian literature in the German-speaking world?
Perhaps, after decades of effort, we will soon be able to stop explaining Austrian literature to the Germans and presenting it year after year as a more exciting variant of German-language literature.
In the meantime, the Germans have become almost better acquainted with the supposed peculiarities of Austrian literature, and German authors make use of aesthetic patterns that we have hitherto taken as our own, as if it were a matter of course. Saying farewell to our past and embracing a future without aesthetic stubbornness could, however, be quite painful.
If the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Graz were a book, which would it be for you?
I cannot resist the temptation to immediately say The Man Without Qualities as an answer here. Musil worked on this novel for decades, and yet the book remained unfinished. Originally, the novel was supposed to clarify the preconditions that led to the outbreak of the First World War. Then the author was interrupted by the rise of National Socialism and the Second World War. The whole concept had to be transformed. Possibly, there is also a parable for humanities research here.
What exactly do you do here?
I work at the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Humanities , where I am responsible for matters relating to studying and examinations My tasks are of a very diverse nature. From administrative support for students to website design, I am known at the faculty as the person you ask when you don't know what to do. Sometimes I have to comfort people, and sometimes I admonish them - whatever the situation calls for!
What do you like most about your work?
I am always engaged in new projects and very different tasks, which makes working at the Dean's Office very varied. It never gets boring!
What is the funniest thing you have experienced in the process?
Over the years, there have been a lot of laughs.... But I'd better not tell you most of it!
What exactly is your focus?
My research focuses on the philosophy of the early modern period, that is, the epoch in which the foundations of our present self-understanding were laid in many of its most important aspects. In my research, I also occasionally look back to the Middle Ages - a period that is sometimes underestimated in terms of its impact and diversity in philosophy.
What fascinates you most about your field? Or rather, what do you see as the value of the history of philosophy?
The history of philosophy can help us to discover our implicit prejudices and thus to look beyond our own presuppositions. Moreover, sometimes the old is just as good or even better than the new, and it is always instructive and helpful to improve one’s understanding of the past... and occasionally it is just fascinatingly quirky
What aspect of your work do you find particularly rewarding?
In particular, the opportunity to pass on my enthusiasm for the history of philosophy, and perhaps to encourage some students to do the same. I want to teach them to be open to the thoughts of others, as well as to understand the value of those thoughts.
What fields of work does your job actually involve exactly?
At our centre, I am involved with administrative tasks in the context of the university and the management of research projects and third-party funded projects. I represent the centre and the university in national and international working groups, professional associations, and research infrastructure projects on the topics of research data management, digital publication, curricula development, open science, and legal and ethical aspects of digital research. Copyright, licensing, and data protection in the context of digital scholarship are also my core teaching topics in our master's programme "Digital Humanities" as well as in our collaborative projects with internal and external partners.
Digital & Humanities - how do these two concepts fit together?
Actually, they fit together quite excellently. Thanks to progressive digitization and, above all, public accessibility of sources of global cultural heritage, we can research topics more extensively and in greater detail than was possible a generation ago. Ultimately, the humanities always explore artifacts of the human spirit and human culture - and since so much of what happens in society and culture today takes place in the digital realm, it is all the more important that researchers understand both humanities and cultural studies as well as digital methods and the associated ways of thinking.
What are the most common misconceptions that exist about Digital Humanities?
"Will you make me a website and a database?" is a question we still hear often today. Many still see computers as mere tools, think of a "digital publication" as a website, and think that digital humanities scholars are simply "programmers." Yet research-driven development and application of digital methods to digital sources is an extremely complex and ever-changing field that offers us ways of indexing, exploring, and, above all, communicating of our cultural heritage that could not have been imagined when I was a student - we can not only find previously unimaginable answers, but also ask previously unimaginable questions.
Why did you decide to study this subject in particular?
In the course of my undergraduate studies (Teacher Training Programme. Subjects: German and English), I developed a significant interest in linguistics. After graduation, I started looking for more ways to do computer-based research in this area. Instead of teaching myself programming skills through self-study, I tried the Master's program in Digital Humanities and then got 'hooked' on the field.
What was your favorite course and why?
Difficult to say, because actually all my courses were exciting. They dealt sometimes more theoretically, and sometimes more practically with the question of what digital transformation is doing to us, to the humanities and generally to our cultural heritage. If I had to choose, it would be the application-oriented VU Data Science (Knowledge Discovery & Data Mining; SS2021), which was taught by Bernhard Geiger and Maximilian Toller in cooperation with the Know-Center/TU Graz. What I learned about data analysis and visualization helped me a lot in my master’s thesis and still helps me today in my work on the DiDip project.
What do you particularly like about Graz as a university location?
I think Graz is a pleasant mixture of city and country. Almost everything is easily accessible by bike. The location is also very diverse, whether it's culinary arts, the music and local scene, or events in general - it simply doesn't get boring. Apart from that, I like the location in the region, and in 2.5 hours you can make it to Vienna, or in 3.5 to the upper Adriatic.
What do you do at the Faculty of Humanities?
I am responsible for all administrative work at the Center for IInterdisciplinary Research on Aging and Care (CIRAC). And by that, I really mean all of it. From budget to project administration to the day-to-day business of office management.
What do you like most about your day-to-day work?
I always get to meet new and interesting people. I work with them on exciting projects whose content also interests me personally. And of course, the team in which I work!
What do you find particularly rewarding about your work?
Valuable friendships have developed over time with people from a wide variety of research fields and backgrounds.
Why did you decide to study this degree programme in particular?
During my school years, these were the two subjects in which my teachers particularly inspired me. In history, we worked with contemporary historical sources; it wasn't a matter of memorizing numbers and dates, but of understanding the subject. In geography, too, we talked about world politics and economics. I think that's important. I also want to empower young people to make good decisions. Especially in political education, it's not just about students knowing all the parties, but also why they should vote.
What has surprised or excited you the most in the course of your studies?
In geography, I was initially very surprised by everything that is part of this programme - human, physical and economic geography. In general, I was surprised at how different the areas are that are covered. In history, I was particularly impressed by Helmut Konrad's introductory lecture on contemporary history. When I listened to him, I knew: this is the right course for me. That's what I want to learn!
What do you particularly like about Graz as a university location?
I like the fact that everything is not too big here. It's easy to get to know your fellow students. You can also talk to the professors about problems on equal terms. That's really important! What's nice about campus life are the many small cafés and restaurants nearby and also the many green spaces that allow you to study or relax on warm days. The many study spaces that are available - especially in the new library - are also great!
What exactly does someone who studies German medieval studies do?
We deal with language and, above all, with the literature and culture of the Middle Ages (and their reception). What is particularly interesting about literary texts is that different discourses that preoccupied people at a particular time clash in them and not infrequently come into conflict with each other, are questioned, reconciled or modified. In our field, then, we ask ourselves primarily how a medieval text produces particular meanings by revealing its literary 'madeness' and the cultural assumptions that shaped it. This gives us revealing insights into an era that continues to fascinate many people to this day, as can be seen, for example, from the successful fantasy books, films, and series that continue to create medieval-like worlds.
You came to the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Graz from Heidelberg - how do you like it here, and what are the biggest differences?
I really like it here and feel very much at home. The city of Graz is beautiful and somehow already feels Mediterranean. Not everyone has the privilege of working and living in a place where others spend their vacations! And the university and the Institute of German Studies also offer a varied working environment with extremely nice, open-minded colleagues who all work on interesting research areas. The biggest difference to Heidelberg is perhaps the size of the institute. Although there are also many young people studying German here, there are very few staff with permanent contracts. On the other hand, there are also advantages of working together in a small group, because then you quickly get to know each other and people’s different research interests well.
What is the significance of medieval studies today?
When dealing with medieval literature - and this is also possible in German classes at school, for example - we are confronted with narrative worlds that are not part of people’s general experience today. This foreignness of pre-modern texts may at first seem to be a hurdle to understanding. But it is precisely the peculiar, irritatingly different ways of thinking and narrating in the texts that make us question what we take for granted and can trigger an examination of our own cultural and historical influence. The medieval world is foreign enough for us to question our habits of thought. At the same time, especially because of the language and the culture, it is close enough to be relevant for our social self-understanding. This can be seen not least in the above-mentioned popular fascination with medieval worlds, figures and mythical creatures such as knights, dragons and unicorns, which evidently people still identify with to this day and can be encountered not only in children's books but also in computer games and on packets of gummy bear - in other words, everywhere.