Between science funding, cultural policy and national representation. German Institutes abroad from the 19th century to the 2000s

Dr. Stefan Laffin

The project examines forms of science funding and foreign cultural policy in their international contexts, with a particular focus on German scientific institutes abroad. Rather than examining the founding stories of individual institutes, the project explores the genesis of the idea of conducting and representing (humanities) research in foreign countries. The ultimate aim of this study is to explore how the concept and practice of German science policy manifested itself abroad and was repeatedly renegotiated and re-established over time. The research initiative also concentrates on the individual and institutional actors involved and the prevailing lines of reasoning in specific settings.
Rome can be seen as a focus of interest for foreign science policy especially in the 19th century, not only for Germany but also, for example, for French or US-American efforts to establish research and cultural institutes in the city. With a view to overarching research interest, the stay in Rome also serves to delve into the holdings of various German foreign institutes, building on the extant literature on German institutes in Rome. Finally, an Italian perspective on this form of German foreign science policy can be gleaned from the Roman archives.
The project is intended to be a contribution to the history of German science and society, and analysis of the development of (the idea of) the foreign institutes, their backgrounds, motives and integration in the science policy landscape.

Dr. Stefan Laffin
Ludwig and Margarethe Quidde Fellow (February–March, October 2025 – January 2026)
Biography + Publications
+39 06 66049228
stelaffin[at]gmail[dot]com

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