Visiting Fellowship in Marburg, Herne oder Birmingham

For the Project “Subjectivities of Owning Land: Land Redistribution and the Nation-State in the Baltics Across the 20th Century”

The Martin Opitz Library, the University of Birmingham, and the Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe are pleased to announce a second call for applications for up to three visiting fellowships to collaborate on the research project Subjectivities of Owning Land (SOL): Land Redistribution and the Nation-State in the Baltics Across the 20th Century. The research stay, scheduled for the spring and autumn 2026, will last up to four weeks and take place at one of the partner institutions.

About the project

Subjectivities of Owning Land is a collaborative research initiative involving the Martin-Opitz-Library, the University of Birmingham, and the Herder Institute. It examines how successive land redistribution projects have shaped the history of the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) throughout the 20th century and have contributed to a very specific relationship between society and state. By retracing the aggregate impact of interwar land reform, Soviet collectivisation, and post-1991 privatisation on subjectivities, it bridges entrenched ruptures in the region’s history. The SOL project is headed by two Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Heidi Hein-Kircher from the Martin-Opitz-Library / Ruhr University Bochum and Prof. Klaus Richter from the University of Birmingham. The project team includes Dr. Paris Pin-Yu Chen and Dāvis Pumpuriņš, M.A. as research associates.

Fellowship aims

We invite up to three scholars whose work focuses on the Baltic region, particularly on the relations between land, state, and society, to join us as visiting fellows. Our aim is to ensure that the project develops in close dialogue with academics based in the Baltic states and encompasses a multidisciplinary scope of knowledge. Therefore, we welcome applications from scholars affiliated with Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian academic institutions in diverse fields, such as anthropology, ethnology, political science, sociology, or economics, and from candidates at various academic stages, including graduate and postgraduate levels. We actively encourage applications from female scholars to uphold gender balance and foster diversity and inclusion.

Visiting fellows are expected to engage deeply with the research team and contribute to the project’s outcomes. During their stay at the host institution, the scholars will present their research once and contribute an article to the special issue resulting from the fellowship. You will also get a chance to collaborate with Eastern European history specialists and participate in the host institution’s activities.

Research Stay Details
● Duration: up to four weeks
● Period: Spring or Autumn 2026
● Location: one of the partner institutions
● Scholarship: €3000 for covering the additional costs in the city of your host institution, including travel and accommodation costs (pro rata if duration shorter than four weeks)
 

Application Procedure
To apply, please submit the following materials via email to the SOL Project Coordinator, Anna Ivanova (anna.ivanova@sowi.uni-giessen.de), by December 10, 2025.

• Cover Letter: Please describe your research interests, explain how your work aligns with the SOL project, and outline your motivation for applying (max. 1 page). Indicate which partner institutions you are interested in and specify your preferred timeframe for the stay. Please note that, due to internal document processing, a fellowship at the University of Birmingham can begin no earlier than six months after confirmation.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV): Include a list of publications and relevant research experience.

• Research Proposal: Provide a brief proposal (max. 2 pages) outlining the research you plan to conduct during your stay, its relevance to the SOL project, and the archives or collections you plan to consult.

  Selection Process
  Applications will be evaluated based on their relevance to the SOL project, the quality of the research proposal, and an academic track record commensurate with your career stage. The SOL team will review applications based on the criteria mentioned above. 

  Application Deadline
  Please submit all application materials by December 10, 2025, via email to: anna.ivanova@sowi.uni-giessen.de

  Contact Information
  For further inquiries, please contact: Anna Ivanova, Project Coordinator, Martin Opitz Library
  anna.ivanova@sowi.uni-giessen.de
  mob.subjectivities-of-owning-land.de
  We look forward to receiving your applications and welcoming you to our collaborative research project!