This project examines the diverse representations of early Judaism across the German-speaking lands of the 19th century. In view of the rising nation-state, it illuminates the importance of the ancient past ...read more
The phenomenon of lobbyists attempting to influence the decisions of government is nothing new. While official, regulated lobbying is a modern institution, informal lobbying is much older. In Roman Antiquity, ...read more
Arabic was catapulted onto the world stage by the Arab-Islamic conquests of the 7th century CE. Within a few centuries, it was the international medium of science and communication. ‘Classical ...read more
The materiality of ancient documents can be "porteuse de sens" i.e. it can bring up more information about the typology, the content, the context and the chronology of the documents. In fact, ...read more
Between 2019 and 2024, an interdisciplinary team at Ghent University studies the role of Bruges as a late-medieval harbour and the maritime-cultural landscape stretching along the Zwin. This tidal inlet was ...read more
Dante Alighieri and his works, particularly the Divine Comedy, have played a key role in forming the European culture. Through different times and contexts, it appears clear that his works and ...read more
There is still a widespread view that Rome’s expanding economic influence over the Mediterranean in the Late Republic (ca. 200-50 BC) triggered a dramatic change in Italy’s wine industry. This ...read more
This project deals with the various multilingual social networks in the commercial towns in the County of Flanders and the Duchy of Brabant during the Late Middle Ages (1380-1500). The ...read more
This project studies the letters and letter-collection of Basil, bishop of Caesarea (ca. 330-379 AD), as means for lobbying, persuasion, and self-presentation. While the letters of Basil have always been ...read more
This project explores recent efforts by the Russian state to restore the flowering reading culture of Soviet times. The purpose of this policy is not fighting declining reading figures, but ...read more