About the Key Research Area

For several years, material culture has been a particular focus in the development of theoretical and practical approaches within cultural studies. The expressiveness of things for cultural studies questions is accorded special significance here. Objects are entering the scientific dialogue with a growing presence, as can be seen in a wide variety of ways. The object as a dynamic, everyday carrier of cultural aspects and developments, the relationship and mutual influence of people and things, or the diverse processes of materialisation are just a few examples of the current significance of material culture in cultural studies discourse. The University of Vienna took account of this development by founding the key research area "Material Culture" at the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies in 2012. Various departments and institutions have joined the key research area and its topics, and have networked well over the course of the first few years with several joint workshops and seminars.

The speakers for the key research area are Prof. Dr Günther Schörner from the Department of Classical Archaeology and Prof. Dr E. Christiana Köhler from the Department of Egyptology.