“Visiting archives in several countries is an important opportunity for dedicated research” – Feldman Fellows Revisited with Maria Lucenti
Named after the American historian Gerald D. Feldman (1937-2007), the Feldman Travel Grants enable scholars to spend up to three months in the host countries of the Max Weber Foundation’s institutes and use archives, libraries or collections that are relevant to their research. In the “Feldman Fellows Revisited” series, we interview former Feldman fellows about their experiences and research in the host countries.
In this episode of Feldman Fellows Revisited, we spoke to Maria Lucenti about his experiences as a Feldman Fellow.
Which project did you work on as a fellow? Which countries did you visit?
I worked on the project “Colonial Conflicts and Education in Tunisia: The Role of Italian, Jewish and French Schools.” I visited France, Israel and Italy.
Before applying for the fellowship, did you have any experience with archives, libraries, collections, etc. in your target countries?
I had already consulted digitised documents from the Alliance Israelite Universelle (whose headquarters are in Paris) during my postdoc in Canada, but the fellowship gave me the opportunity to find many more materials on-site. I also consulted other archives that I had never visited before, such as the “Centre des Archives diplomatiques de La Courneuve” and the archives of the Holocaust memorial in Paris. It was the first time I had visited the archives in Israel, as well as in Rome.
What has been your local experience with these institutions?
I met the directors of the German historical institutes in the different countries. These meetings were extremely fruitful as I received advice both on documents I could consult at their centers and on local archives where I could find historical sources useful for my project.
Did you notice any differences in research in the respective countries you visited?
The differences were related to the different types of archives consulted. However, I found the same openness, availability and competence in all places.
Do you have any tips for other scientists in the qualification phase who are working in your field?
The advantage of transnational projects is that they make it possible to analyse exchanges and trace the complexity of some historical events. Visiting archives in several countries is an important opportunity for dedicated research, so I strongly recommend exploring this opportunity.
Dr Maria Lucenti is a visiting researcher at the University of Hamburg and Adjunct Professor of History of Education at the University of Genoa. She deals with the history of education, the comparative analysis of educational policies, school programmes and textbooks, and the relationship between identity and education, with a focus on gender, cultural and religious diversity.
Short biography with profile picture (© Maria Lucenti)
OpenEdition schlägt Ihnen vor, diesen Beitrag wie folgt zu zitieren:
Max Weber Stiftung (21. Februar 2024). “Visiting archives in several countries is an important opportunity for dedicated research” – Feldman Fellows Revisited with Maria Lucenti. [gab_log] Geisteswissenschaft als Beruf. Abgerufen am 14. Oktober 2024 von https://doi.org/10.58079/vvhd
