Call for papers – Series of Workshops on Sacred Writing Traditions

The HaZen (Handschriftenzentrum) project, based at the Institute for Jewish Studies at Freie Universität Berlin, would like to invite international researchers to three workshops in Berlin.

HaZen is a project funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space, which aims to establish a long-term interdisciplinary fellowship program and the foundation of a research centre. The thematic focus of the centre will be on the production and handling of sacred writings not only within Jewish, Christian, and Muslim writing traditions, but also within Asian, African, and South American cultures. The diversity of disciplines is intended to enable new perspectives on manuscript history in all its material, theological, social, and political dimensions in a cross-cultural comparison.

In the summer of 2026, the project will offer a total of 27 researchers (9 per workshop) the opportunity to engage in a transdisciplinary exchange on a defined topic at Freie Universität Berlin and to establish a sustainable academic network. Travel and accommodation costs for up to 6 days will be covered by the project.

The workshop will consist of two days of lectures with respondents from the group and a “writing culture day” – with writing workshop, museum visit, and concert. Optionally, two additional days can be used for individual research. Since the manuscript and special departments of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz are cooperating with the project and opening their collections for it, applicants are encouraged to include suggestions for manuscripts from the catalogues they would like to examine on site in their application.

Please apply by January 15, 2026 with a 700–1000-word exposé on one of the following topics to the project initiator PD Dr. Annett Martini (amartini@zedat.fu-berlin.de)

Topic 1 (June 15–19, 2026): Production, Function, and Handling of Scrolls in the Writing Cultures

Topic 2 (July 20–24, 2026): The Ethics of the Scribe: Writing as a Sacred Act

Topic 3 (August 10–14, 2026): Pictorial Representations of Sacred Writings and of Ikons in Visual Arts