Henrike Lähnemann (born 15 May 1968 in Münster)[1] is a German medievalist and holds the Chair of Medieval German, University of Oxford.[2] She is a Fellow of St Edmund Hall, Oxford.[3]
Henrike Lähnemann | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lahnemann in Oxford, 2020 | |
| Born | May 15, 1968 Münster, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Medieval studies |
| Institutions | |
Career
editLähnemann is the daughter of the theologian Johannes Lähnemann, and the granddaughter of the German medievalist Eleonore Dörner (née Benary) and the archeologist Friedrich Karl Dörner; she grew up in Lüneburg and Nuremberg, Germany. She studied German literature, History of Art and Theology at the University of Bamberg, the University of Edinburgh, Free University of Berlin and University of Göttingen. She completed a PhD at the Universität Bamberg on late medieval didactic literature.
Lähnemann worked at the University of Tübingen, where she gained her Venia legendi in German Philology with a study of the Book of Judith in German medieval literature. She spent a year as a Feodor Lynen Research Fellow[4] at the University of Oxford and a semester as visiting professor at the University of Zurich. Between 2006 and 2014 she held the Chair of German Studies at Newcastle University, and was also Head of the German Section in Newcastle's School of Modern Languages. In 2010, the German Research Foundation nominated her for AcademiaNet,[5] the database of profiles of leading women scientists;[6][7] she also chaired Women in German Studies 2009–2015. In 2015, she was appointed to the Chair of Medieval German Language and Literature at the University of Oxford.[2] 2015–2024, she spends two months a year as a Senior Research Fellow at FRIAS, made possible by co-funding of the chair by the VolkswagenStiftung, the DAAD, and the University of Freiburg.
Her research focuses on medieval manuscripts, the relationship of text and images and how vernacular and Latin literature are connected, currently mainly in late medieval Northern German convents. At the moment she is working on a Gerda Henkel Stiftung funded project to edit the letters of the nuns from Lüne (together with Eva Schlotheuber), and the edition of prayer books of the Medingen Convent. Their trade book about late medieval nuns, first published by Ullstein Verlag 2023 in German as 'Un-erhörte Frauen' is open access available in English as 'The Life of Nuns'.
Lähnemann's major topic is the engagement with the Reformation and printing. She brought a new linguistic and interdisciplinary angle to Reformation Studies in Oxford, completing the team of experts - Lyndal Roper and Diarmaid MacCulloch being counted among them. As part of the Translating, Printing, Singing the Reformation project a website[8] providing access to digitized Reformation pamphlets was launched, as well as a blog[9] and podcast[10] documenting the most recent activities of the Reformation team. Furthermore, book printing workshops[11] and new productions of key scenes from the Reformation[12] took place. The political relevance of the project becomes evident in the combination of Reformation and anti-Brexit ideas,[13][14] but especially in the use of Reformation pamphlets for a protest-Hallelujah[15][16] in the context of civil resistance in Hong Kong.
The author Angelika Overath dedicated her novel Sie dreht sich um[17] to Lähnemann.
Research projects
edit- Treasures of the Taylorian. Series One: Reformation Pamphlets
- Medingen Manuscripts
- The Nuns' Network. Editing the Lüne letters (with Eva Schlotheuber, financed by the Gerda Henkel Stiftung). Film documentation of the project
- Sword of Judith Project
- The Renner of Hugo von Trimberg
- Jüngerer Sigenot
Selected publications
editFull publication list on Henrike Lähnemann's institutional website.
- Lähnemann, H., Schlotheuber E. The Life of Nuns. Love, Politics, and Religion in Medieval German Convents. OBP 2024 https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0397
- Lähnemann H., Jones, H. [ed.]: Martin Luther, Ein Sendbrief vom Dolmetschen und Fürbitte der Heiligen. An Open Letter on Translating and the Intercession of Saints (Treasures of the Taylorian. Series One: Reformation Pamphlets 5), 2nd ed. 2022.[18]
- Lähnemann H. , Schlotheuber, E. et al.: Netzwerke der Nonnen. Edition und Erschließung der Briefsammlung aus Kloster Lüne (ca. 1460-1555), in: Wolfenbütteler Digitale Editionen. Wolfenbüttel 2016-, online.
- Lähnemann, H., Hascher-Burger, U.: Liturgie und Reform im Kloster Medingen. Edition und Untersuchung des Propst-Handbuchs Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Lat. liturg. e. 18 (Spätmittelalter, Humanismus, Reformation 76), Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2013.
- Brine K, Ciletti E, Lähnemann H, ed. The Sword of Judith. Judith Studies Across the Disciplines. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers, 2010.
- Lähnemann H., Linden S, ed. Dichtung und Didaxe. Lehrhaftes Sprechen in der deutschen Literatur des Mittelalters. Berlin / New York: de Gruyter, 2009.
- Lähnemann H. Hystoria Judith: Deutsche Judithdichtungen vom 12. bis zum 16. Jahrhundert. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2006.
References
edit- ^ "Henrike Lähnemann". Kürschners Deutscher Gelehrten-Kalender Online. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
- ^ a b "SML Chair of German Studies appointed to Chair in Oxford". Newcastle University. 2014-07-13. Archived from the original on 2014-10-17. Retrieved 2014-10-12.
- ^ "Visitor, Principal and Fellows". St Edmund Hall, Oxford. 2014-07-13. Retrieved 2014-10-12.
- ^ "Details of the Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship at the University of Oxford". Archived from the original on 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
- ^ See also the AcademiaNet website; click on English in the top left-hand corner for a description of the initiative.
- ^ "An AcademiaNet interview with Henrike Lähnemann (in German): 'Eine spannende Umbruchssituation'". Archived from the original on 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
- ^ An AcademiaNet interview with Henrike Lähnemann: 'A Voice for Medieval and Modern German'
- ^ "Taylor Editions/ Reformation". Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ "The Reformation at the Taylor Institution Library - A Bodleian Libraries blog". Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ "Podcast Reformation 2017". Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ "Print workshop at Bodleian Library". 23 February 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ "500 year celebration of 95 Theses". Facebook. 1 November 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ Lähnemann, Henrike (29 June 2016). "Devastated but determined. Consequences of Brexit for Academia". Faz.net. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ Lähnemann, Henrike (14 August 2017). "A UTOPIAN ISLAND? BREXIT IN A HISTORICAL CONTEXT". University of Freiburg - FRIAS. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ Henrike Lähnemann, Wai Yip HO (20 August 2019). "The Reformation and Hongkong". YouTube. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ "Sing hallelujah to the lord 2019 .6.16 Hong Kong". YouTube. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ "Reading sample" (PDF).
- ^ "Ein Sendbrief vom Dolmetschen und Fürbitte der Heiligen. An Open Letter on Translating and the Intercession of Saints". Taylor Editions.