2027–2028 Fellowships in Cultural Practices of Reparation
Käte Hamburger Centre for Cultural Practices of Reparation
Location: Saarbrücken, Germany
Fellowship period: October 2027–September 2028
Duration: Six to 12 months
Number of fellowships: Up to 12
Stipend: €6,100–€7,200 per month before tax, depending on qualifications
Start date: 1 October 2027
Application deadline: 30 November 2026
Application languages: English, French or German
The Käte Hamburger Centre for Cultural Practices of Reparation at Saarland University invites applications for up to 12 international and interdisciplinary fellowships for the 2027–2028 academic year, pending approval by the German Ministry for Research, Technology and Space.
The Centre welcomes scholars from cultural studies, the humanities and social sciences whose work examines questions of reparation and irreparability. Artists holding a doctorate and experienced in academic collaboration may also apply.
Research Programme
The Centre investigates cultural practices of reparation from a range of disciplinary perspectives.
Many forms of harm—including the destruction of cultural heritage in colonised regions, the trauma of war and the consequences of climate change—cannot be undone. These irreversible harms can initiate complex negotiations that reshape cultural identities and create newly imagined ways of living.
Economic and legal compensation may be necessary to dismantle unequal structures, but enduring individual and collective wounds often also require cultural and social responses.
The Centre defines reparation as a process of shaping the future while acknowledging that past harm can never be entirely reversed. Repair leaves traces of destruction visible, felt or understood and reveals the fragility of individuals, communities and their environments.
Cultural practices of reparation may include:
- Oral and written narratives;
- Poetry;
- Linguistic and non-linguistic rituals;
- Music;
- Visual art and film;
- Theatre;
- Exhibition practices;
- Historiography; and
- Other forms of scholarship and knowledge production.
The Centre aims to develop theoretical approaches to practices that imagine possibilities for shared futures beyond identitarian claims or the restoration of a supposedly original identity.
2027–2028 Theme: Things
Proposals must align with at least one of the Centre’s three thematic fields—history, experience or nature—and address the 2027–2028 annual theme, Things.
This theme foregrounds the material dimensions of reparation. Projects should examine objects, artefacts or material environments through which practices such as repair, mending and reuse acquire cultural and political significance.
The proposed research should consider how processes of reparation are enacted practically or symbolically through material things.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Work in cultural studies, the humanities, social sciences or a related research area;
- Have completed and successfully defended a doctorate by the application deadline;
- Be professionally active in academia or research, whether formally employed or working independently;
- Propose an original research project relevant to the Centre’s programme;
- Connect their project to at least one of the thematic fields of history, experience or nature;
- Address the 2027–2028 theme of Things; and
- Be available to live and work in Saarbrücken for the fellowship period.
Artists may apply if they hold a doctorate and have experience collaborating within academic contexts.
The following are not eligible:
- Retired scholars, including professors emeriti;
- Scholars and artists who have not completed a doctorate; and
- Employees of Saarland University.
The Centre welcomes applications regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic or social background, religion or worldview, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity.
UniGR Fellowship
One award will be offered as the University of the Greater Region Fellowship.
Applicants for this fellowship must have completed and defended a doctorate and be employed in an academic position at one of the following institutions when applying:
- University of Trier;
- University of Liège;
- University of Luxembourg;
- University of Lorraine; or
- RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau.
The UniGR Fellowship will be selected alongside the Centre’s other fellowships by its Academic Advisory Board.
Participation
Fellows are expected to live in Saarbrücken and divide their time between independent research and collaborative work at the Centre.
They will participate actively in:
- Colloquia;
- Working groups;
- Conferences;
- Workshops;
- Centre publications; and
- Other research activities.
With approval from the Executive Committee, Fellows may also organise workshops or contribute to teaching and academic events with the Centre’s research and cultural partners.
Extended absences for longer research trips or stays elsewhere are not permitted.
Fellowship Conditions
Fellowships are awarded for six to 12 months and always begin on 1 October.
Two funding arrangements are available:
- Fellows taking unpaid leave from their home institution, as well as independent scholars and artists, receive a stipend of between €6,100 and €7,200 per month before tax, depending on their qualifications; or
- Fellows retaining their salary and benefits may have equivalent funding paid to their home institution to cover a teaching replacement during their time at the Centre.
Travel expenses to and from Saarbrücken will be reimbursed once in accordance with the Saarland Travel Expense Act.
Fellows will receive a fully equipped workspace. Modern apartment accommodation at Saarland University may be arranged on request for approximately €1,250 per month.
Fellows are responsible for their insurance and all other living expenses.
Selection
The Academic Advisory Board will assess:
- Academic quality;
- Originality;
- Conceptual alignment with the Centre’s research programme;
- The applicant’s qualifications;
- Motivation;
- Career stage; and
- The contribution the candidate would make to a balanced and internationally diverse cohort.