EXC 3061:  Cross-Cultural Philology. New Perspectives on Premodern Textualities

• Subject Area: Literary Studies
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 533680712

The planned Cluster will create an innovative and viable hub shaping the future of the Humanities. This unprecedented, cross-cultural examination of philological practices and cultural dynamics over a period of five millennia will bring to light the richness of philological traditions in their mutual interaction in the Near and Middle East, in East Asia, on the Indian subcontinent, in North, East and West Africa, and in Europe. This comparison will reveal similarities and differences, continuity, and discontinuity, yielding insights far beyond the current state of the art and in the process disproving the widespread assumption that philology as we know it first took shape in the 19th century. By scrutinising philological practices from across the globe, we will develop a comprehensive history of knowledge and scholarship, introducing both general concepts and more detailed insights into the practicalities of philological work considered in specific historical contexts. At the same time, we will embrace the cutting-edge opportunities offered by Digital Humanities in order to explore fresh research questions and new areas of knowledge. Research in the many disciplines involved in the Cluster will be raised to a new level, with a high degree of international visibility. The Cluster will benefit from a wide-ranging network of local, national, and international partner institutions and the involvement of international fellows. Making full use of the strength of the philological disciplines and the excellent infrastructure at LMU, the Cluster’s top priority is to offer early career researchers a vibrant research environment in which they can produce world-class research.

• DFG Programme: Clusters of Excellence (ExStra)
• Applicant Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Participating Institution: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
• Spokespersons: Professor Dr. Holger Gzella; Professorin Dr. Beate Kellner; Professorin Dr. Karen Radner
• Participating Researchers: Professor Peter Adamson, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Arndt Brendecke; Professor Dr. Hans van Ess; Jörg Heimbel; Professorin Dr. Irene Holzer; Professorin Dr. Verena Höfig; Professor Dr. Enrique Jiménez; Professorin Dr. Susanne Lepsius; Professor Dr. Florian Mehltretter; Professorin Dr. Kärin Nickelsen; Professorin Dr. Claudia Olk; Professor Dr. Björn Ommer; Professor Dr. Oliver Primavesi; Professorin Dr. Susanne Reichlin; Professor Dr. Julian Schröter; Professorin Dr. Barbara Sonnenhauser; Professor Dr. Carlos Spoerhase; Professor Dr. Martin Andreas Stadler; Professor Loren Stuckenbruck, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Vincent Tournier; Professor Dr. Ronny Vollandt; Professorin Dr. Claudia Wiener