POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS FOR THE PROJECT
“OVERCOMING THE AGGRESSOR.
SELF-PERCEPTION AND EXTERNAL
PERCEPTION OF AN ACTOR BETWEEN NATIONS”
(Central European University Democracy Institute, Budapest)
We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow position within the project “Overcoming the
Aggressor. Self-Perception and External Perception of an Actor Between Nations.” Directed
by Prof. Dr. Thomas Maissen (History Department, Heidelberg University) and supported by
a generous grant from the Daimler and Benz Foundation, this three-year international
interdisciplinary project investigates the identity-forming construction of national images of
the enemy, which are shaped by aggressors from neighboring countries throughout Europe.
The project focuses on key historical figures and their contested historiographical
interpretations, but is also open to less conventional approaches to “clusters” of aggressors, and
different media of representation, including artistic, audiovisual, or digital. A detailed
description of the project and the researchers involved can be found here.
The postdoctoral position allows for the conceptualization and implementation of an English
or German-language book project over three years. The project can be freely formulated within
the framework of the above-mentioned description. Successful applicant will work in
cooperation with the broader academic network around Central European University
Democracy Institute in Budapest, and in cooperation with other researchers involved in the
project, including the postdoctoral fellow hosted by the Centre for Advanced Study in Sofia.
The grantee is expected to actively participate in the further conceptualization of the project
and in its events (e.g., graduate seminar, workshops) as well as in the institutional activities of
the hosting institution. Apart from pursuing her/his research, the Fellow will thus be involved
in constructing and consolidating an innovative international and interdisciplinary research
network, bringing together scholars from different academic cultures and engaging with the
problems of historical canon-building and counter-canons, reconciliation, (re)nationalization,
national grand narratives, and memory of violence in a comparative manner.
The successful candidate will be working in residence at the hosting institution (at least 120
days per academic year) but research stays abroad are also eligible for funding. The annual
grant is up to 48.960 Euro gross.
Eligibility requirements:
- Candidates must hold a PhD, earned not earlier than 7 years before the application is
submitted (with maternity or paternity leaves and documented career breaks eligible for
extension), - they should have an outstanding research agenda, and a record of relevant and internationally
recognized publications in the field, - excellent scholarly project, which should have a comparative or transnational edge, going
beyond studying only one national context, - good knowledge of English and at least one language from East Central Europe, other
language skills welcome.
The involved institutions stand for equal opportunities and diversity. Qualified female
candidates are especially invited to apply. Persons with severe disabilities will be given
preference if they are equally qualified.
Application deadline: October 1. The applications will be processed starting October 15, 2023.
The position will remain open until filled. Starting date: December 1, 2023
(negotiable). The contract is for a maximum of 36 months. Informal inquiries can be addressed
to Ágnes Kelemen, coordinator, CEU DI History Working Group (kelemena@ceu.edu)
Applications should contain:
- a motivation letter
- curriculum vitae
- copies of diplomas
- proof of language skills and professional experience
- one sample article or book chapter
- the names and addresses of two scholars, who can be contacted for letters of reference
- and an outline of the project (max. 20,000 characters including spaces and bibliography).
Please send applications in electronic form (in one PDF file) and with the subject “Application
for postdoc” to aggressorprojekt@zegk.uni-heidelberg.de
