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thor. bundles, showcases, and promotes outreach initiatives, projects and events at the Bernese Faculty of Humanities and beyond. thor. builds bridges between individual research and participation, analytical and performative research, and between academia and other fields of knowledge.
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In 2021, I returned to Isfahan expecting to study a flowing river. Instead, I was confronted by its absence. What can a dry river tell us about memory, deep time, and ecological loss? Moving between fieldwork on the cracked earth of Isfahan and an art exhibition in Zurich, this article explores how the disappearing Zayandehroud has transformed into both an archive and a witness.
Juan Gabriel Vásquez, geboren 1973 in Bogotá, ist einer der bedeutendsten Schriftsteller Lateinamerikas. Schon mehrfach wurde er als Anwärter auf den Nobelpreis gehandelt. Im Frühjahrssemester 2017 lehrte Vásquez als Friedrich Dürrenmatt Gastprofessur für Weltliteratur an der Universität Bern. Seine Berner Vorlesungen erscheinen nun auf Deutsch unter dem Titel “Reisen mit weißer Landkarte – Die Kunst des Romans”.
Welcome to THoR, also known as Taking the Humanities on the Road! THoR is an Ideas-and-Action Lab at the interdisciplinary Walter Benjamin Kolleg (WBKolleg). The WBKolleg is part of the Faculty of the Humanities at the University of Bern. The...
thor.news highlights outreach initiatives and events at the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Bern and beyond
This blog article argues that Tiziano Terzani’s legendary travelogue was never a purely textual work. Nicole Pecoitz explains how digital storytelling allows us to finally read it as an intermedial narrative that exceeds the printed page. Have a look!
Martin Ritzmann sat down with the social anthropologist Dr. Moslem Ghomashlouyan to learn more about the remarkable journey Western brand-name apparel undertake across the Iraqi-Iranian border. NOTE: This episode was recorded on 27 March, 2026 – 4 weeks after the onset of the 2026 Iran war. Listen to the episode here.
Ein Morgen für Doktorierende und Interessierte mit Jaroslav Rudiš zum Thema “Über die Grenze – Vom Reisen, Warten und Schreiben”. Im Workshop wird es um die Eisenbahn und die Grenzbahnhöfe gehen. Und auch um Grenzüberschreitungen im weiteren Sinne. Nicht nur mit dem Zug, sondern auch in der Kunst oder in der Forschung. 5. Mai, 10.15am-1pm. Register with melanie.sampayo@unibe.ch
PhD life unfolds between movement and stillness, acceleration and waiting. At this year’s GSAH Forum, doctoral researchers reflect on detours, delays, and uncertain paths towards a destination. Join us on May 19, 3pm in the Research Pool of the Walter Benjamin Kolleg.
This group is an open exchange between all UniBe-members that are interested in capitalism. The group meets for three sessions with pre-circulated texts. On 17 April, Dr. Tanushree Kaushal from the Department of Anthropology and Cultural Studies will talk about her work on gendered labour in finance |12.15pm-2pm. Get in touch with Melina Teubner or Stefan Leins and join!
The research group Capitalism in Context (CCCALL) at the Walter Benjamin Kolleg explores the global history of land and labor commodification from the early enclosures in 16th-century Europe to the emergence of large estates, colonial plantation systems, and contemporary land grabbing. Join the research group! It is open to MA and Ph.D. students, postdocs and experienced researchers from across the university. Picture: Volkart Archives Winterthur.
This group is an open exchange between all UniBe-members that are interested in capitalism. The group meets for three sessions with pre-circulated texts. On 17 April, Dr. Tanushree Kaushal from the Department of Anthropology and Cultural Studies will talk about...
The research group Capitalism in Context (CCCALL) at the Walter Benjamin Kolleg explores the global history of land and labor commodification from the early enclosures in 16th-century Europe to the emergence of large estates, colonial plantation systems, and contemporary land...
In ihrer Lecture Performance Hurra Horeyya 02.0! stellen sich die beiden Kunstschaffenden und Freund:innen Hannan Salamat und Donya Speaks der Absurdität kultureller Zuschreibungen. (Deutsch / Arabisch), Roundtable (Englisch), Moderation: Claire Vionnet. 29.04.2026, 6.15pm–7.45pm, Unitobler, Walter Benjamin Kolleg, Forschungspool. Join us!
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The Summer School will take place from 31 August to 4 September 2026 at Hotel Seaside in Spiez (Lake of Thun). We anticipate a stimulating topic relevant across disciplines as well as a strong line-up of international guests: Prof. Dr....
Warum haben Allgemeinmediziner*innen Fruchtbarkeitsprobleme? Und welche Möglichkeiten gibt es, Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen nach einer Schwangerschaft wirksam vorzubeugen? In dieser Folge spricht Monika Hofmann mit Dr. med. Jeanne Moor, M.Sc., Forscherin am Lehrstuhl für Gendermedizin der Universität Zürich und am Berner Institut für...
The “After Restitution” series will conclude on 26 May 2026 with a panel discussion at the BHM (6:30 p.m., Helvetiaplatz 5, 3005 Bern). Discussion participants: Ken Aicha Sy (Dakar), Michaela Oberhofer (Zurich), Njabulo Chipangura (Maynooth), Amy Shakespeare (Exeter). The evening...
Join the interdisciplinary research seminar with William Blakemore (Freiburg i.Br.), 31 March. Monique Ligtenberg (Zürich), 14 April. And Mary Mbewe (Lusaka), 28 April. Venue: University of Bern, Lerchenweg 36, 3012 Bern. Room: F-105. Time: 4.15pm. After Restitution is experimental in...
After Restitution aims to initiate a debate: In what ways can museums serve as archives for social, global and colonial historiography of the African continent? Conversely, what insights might curators and provenance researchers gain from engaging in dialogue with researchers...
