Digital Database Philosophy in Exile

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Christoph Demmerling
• Subject Area: History of Philosophy
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 565207361

The “Digital Database of Exile Philosophy” (DDEP) addresses the history of philosophy in the 20th century. The aim of the project is to record for the first time the extent of the emigration of German-speaking philosophers during the National Socialist era and to make this information available for analysis. To date, there is no valid overview of the number and identity of persons in philosophy who were expelled from the German-speaking world after 1933 due to political, anti-Semitic, or racist persecution. Specific information on individual emigration fates is also not available for the majority representatives of the subject. This also applies for philosophical networks, schools, and institutions - only a few (e.g. the Frankfurt School, the Vienna Circle) of which have been researched so far. As a result, it is not yet possible to make comprehensive judgments about the significance of exile for the development of philosophy in the 20th century. For the first time, the DDEP lists all philosophers who had to emigrate from Germany and Austria during the 1930s and 40s and makes the collected data available for research on a website. Personal information will be collected (period of emigration, exile-related short biography, exile publications, etc.), in addition to information on structural connections (exile institutions, school connections, work contacts, etc.). For the latter, we will evaluate existing re-search literature as well as conduct archive research. Thanks to the digital processing, the collected material can be explored via extensive search functions and used in different re-search environments. The data on emigration stations and routes can also be displayed on an interactive map and correlated with one another. In addition, a print encyclopedia based on the database will be published at the end of the project. The DDEP is based on an inclusive collection principle (open collection criteria), is oriented towards digital sustainability (data permanence, data security), and attaches importance to open access (public accessibility) when publishing the results. Due to the relevance of the topic, the database is not only oriented towards scientific usability but also aimed at a public audience. All text-based data is collected in two languages (German/English). The project sees itself as an interface between (interdisciplinary) exile research, the digital humanities, and philosophical-historical research, which has so far only worked digitally in rudimentary form. The aim is to create a new and flexible research basis for understanding the history of 20th century philosophy that draws on both proven philosophical-historical methods and innovative digital approaches.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants