Professor Dr. phil. Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger

Born on 17 July 1955 in Bergisch Gladbach

Widowed, two children (born in 1985 and 1988)

Academic Career

Since 9/2018
Rector of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin – Institute for Advanced Study

Since 9/1997
Professor of Modern History at the Historical Seminar of the University of Münster

2/1994
Habilitation at the University of Cologne (venia legendi for Modern History)

6/1991-5/1992
Re-entry stipend in the framework of the Special University Program II of the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Science

8/1982-5/1990
Research Associate at the Historical Seminar of the University of Cologne

5/1985
Doctorate (Medieval and Modern History, Ancient History, German Philology)

5/1980
First state examination for teaching at secondary schools (subjects: History, German)

10/1974-7/1980
Studied German, History, and Art History

Honors

2018
Meyer Struckmann Prize for Research in Intellectual and Social Science

2018
Reuchlin Prize of the City of Pforzheim

2018
Bielefeld Science Prize

2017
Sigmund Freud Prize for Scientific Prose of the German Academy for Language and Literature

2017
Prize of the Leipzig Book Fair in the category Nonfiction for Maria Theresia. Die Kaiserin in ihrer Zeit (M.T. The empress in her time)

2015-2016
Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin

2013
Prize of the Historical College Munich

2012
Innovation Prize of the Land North Rhine-Westphalia

2012
Translation Prize of the German Publishers & Booksellers Association for the book Des Kaisers Alte Kleider (The emperors old clothes)

5/2009
Chercheur invitée at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris

2007
Honorary doctorate of the École normale supérieure Lettres et Sciences humaines, Lyon

2005
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize of the DFG (German Research Association)

Membership in Academic Bodies and Academies

2016-
Member of the Selection Commission for the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz prize of the DFG

2016-
Advisory Board Member of the Historical Journal, Cambridge

2016-
Full Member of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts

2015-
Founding Spokesperson and Executive Board Member of SFB (Special Research Area) 1150 “Cultures of Decision-Making”

2015-
Member of the Academia Europaea

2015-
Member of the Selection Commission for the Alexander von Humboldt Professorships

2014-
Member of the Selection Commission for the Research Prize of the Land of Baden-Württemberg

2014-
Corresponding Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences

2013-
Member of the German National Academy Leopoldina

2011-2015
Spokesperson of the Excellence Cluster ““Religion and Politics. Dynamics of Tradition and Innovation”, since then Member of the Executive Board

2011-2018
Academic Advisory Board of the Gerda Henkel Foundation

2009-
Full Member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences

2009-
Corresponding Member of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences

2009-
Corresponding Member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences

2008-2018
University Council Member of the University of Münster

2008-2013
Advisory Board Member of the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Study (FRIAS)

2006-
Co-editor of the magazine Der Staat (The state)

2006-2015
Member of the Historical Commission of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences

2004-2008
Deputy Chairperson of the German Historians’ Association

2003-
Co-editor and Editor in Chief of the Zeitschrift für historische Forschung (Magazine for historical research)

2003-2013
Spokesperson for SFB 496 “Symbolic Communication and Social Value Systems from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution”

1999-2005
Member of the DFG Senate and Approval Commission for the Postgraduate Program

Main Research Areas

• European political cultural history of early modern times
• Constitutional and cultural history of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation
• Cultural and social history of the estates-based society
• Political-social ritual and procedures in early modern times
• History of concepts, metaphors, and ideas in early modern times