The University of Stuttgart is getting a new cross-faculty research centre in the field of text studies. As a central scientific facility, the new “Stuttgart Research Centre (SRC) for Text Studies“ deals with sophisticated methodological questions directed at the “Text Object“. The focus is thereby the approaches of digital humanities and material studies to supplement and expand conventional hermeneutic description and interpretation processes.
The research centre is being officially opened on 5 th November 2014 with welcoming greetings from Prof. Wolfram Ressel, Rector of the University of Stuttgart, and SRC-Director Prof. Sandra Richter as well as with a ceremonial address by the renowned classicist and computer scientist Prof. Gregory Crane on the topic of “World Literature and Digital Humanities“ (venue: Tiefenhörsaal, K II, Keplerstr. 17; time: 12.30 pm). Crane is considered to be a pioneer in e-humanities, the development of computer programs for the humanities and social sciences. As one of the most innovative researchers in his field, he is well-versed in the humanities and applied computer science like no other.
With a view to founding the new research centre, Prof. Richter said “Stuttgart with its rich landscape of archives and libraries offers an ideal prerequisite for this innovative research approach at the university. With projects already initiated such as “e-poetics“ and “The Digital Archive Stuttgart“, we have gathered initial experiences and are hopeful of being able to successfully expand the centre with other funds to be raised such as, for example, from the funding line “Competence Centre Digital Humanities“ of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF).“
The objective and task of the SRC Text Studies will be to operate high-ranking, interdisciplinary linked research in the fields of text studies and to strengthen the teaching in these fields as well as promoting young scientists. In the research centre scientific facilities from various faculties as well as research groups from the University of Stuttgart are involved. The SRC assumes an integrative role for text studies and cooperates, among others, with the German Literature Archive (DLA) Marbach. With the three focal points of Hermeneutics, Material Studies (in association with the DLA Marbach) and Digital Humanities (together with the Institute for Natural Language Processing at the University of Stuttgart), SRC Text Studies will contribute towards further developing current practices of text analysis, description and interpretation and building bridges between various test-based disciplines.
Hermeneutics of text studies:
Work on theories and practices of understanding texts (incl. author concept,
analysis and interpretation concepts) are the focal points in this field. A special focus is on the
development of the traditional field of hermeneutics under the signs of the new knowledge fields of
Material Studies and Digital Humanities.
Material Studies of text studies:
In this field texts are investigated as objects (manuscripts, correspondence,
libraries, etc.) as well as text-related objects (publisher’s archive, writing utensils of the
authors, etc.). The focal point thereby is the method development of the material studies from a
text study point of view with which practices of edition philology (textology) as well as the
text-related archive and exhibition context are addressed.
Digital Humanities of text studies:
In this field the focus is on developing methods in the digital humanities, as long
as they deal with texts: the practical research and theoretical aspects of digital editions and
tools for text analysis just as much as digital processing of big data.
The numerous edition projects pursued at the SRC also include a sample type script edition of
Theodor W. Adorno’s work published posthumously “Aesthetic Theory“. This new edition is to show,
for example, which influence the aesthetic factor of a text has for the practice of interpretation
and to open up new approaches to the digital processing of philosophical texts.
The SRC Text Studies is also open to other members of the University of Stuttgart who
wish to introduce the research projects according to the scientific concept of the centre.
Moreover, scientists from other universities or other research facilities may cooperate in the
research centre subject to relevant cooperation agreements.
About Prof. Gregory Crane
:
The University of Leipzig has received a professorship from the Alexander von
Humboldt Foundation furnished with five million Euros to appoint the renowned classicist and
computer scientist Prof. Dr. Gregory Ralph Crane from the Tufts University in Medford/Boston, USA.
In an innovative approach Crane combines classicism and computer science. In this respect he
applies methods of computer science to systemise the cultural development of mankind. He has the
development of the Perseus Digital Library, a comprehensive and freely accessible online library
for antique sources to thank for his reputation as a pioneer of digital humanities, the digital
humanities.
Contact:
Dr. Hans-Herwig Geyer, University of Stuttgart, Head of University Communication and Press
Spokesperson,
Tel. 0711/685-82555, Email: hans-herwig.geyer [at] hkom.uni-stuttgart.de
Dr. Cordula Tamborini, University of Stuttgart, Office for SRC Text Studies,Tel. 0711/685-84393, Email: cordula.tamborini [at] ts.uni-stuttgart.de