Ulrich Raulff about the history of man and horse
10th “Zukunftskolleg Lecture” at the University of Konstanz by the director of the German Literature Archive in Marbach
Horses and riding – what is today often regarded as “girly” was not so very long ago a normal part of everyday life. Whether at war or working in the fields, men were dependent on horses as a means of transport. In his book “Das letzte Jahrhundert der Pferde” (The Last Century of the Horse), Ulrich Raulff, director of the German Literature Archive in Marbach, deals with the once close relationship between man and horse as well as its disintegration. On Wednesday, 19 October 2016, he will address this topic again in his talk at the University of Konstanz (17:00, Lecture Hall A704). The title of this public lecture is “How do you write the history of man and horse? Of blind spots, sunken libraries and the dialectics of the ravages of time” . It will take place on the occasion of the presentation of the "Zukunftskolleg Lecture Prize” to Ulrich Rauff by the Zukunftskolleg of the University of Konstanz in the 2016/2017 winter semester.
In English-speaking countries, animals have had a place in the science of history since the 1980s, but only since the turn of the millennium have they found their way into German historiography too. Ulrich Raulff therefore set foot on relatively new territory with his research on how the coexistence of man and horse has developed. He was much acclaimed and his book “Das letzte Jahrhundert der Pferde”, published at the end of 2015 (Verlag C.H. Beck), has already been reprinted five times and in 2016 was nominated for the Leipzig Book Fair Prize in the category “Non-fiction/Essays”.
Amongst others, Ulrich Raulff was head of the arts and culture column of the FAZ newspaper and editor-in-chief of the same section for the Süddeutsche Zeitung. He is director of the German Literature Archive in Marbach and has been a member of the executive board of the Goethe Institute for over ten years. He continues to make a major impact on cultural discourse in Germany and was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his important contribution in this field.
Ulrich Raulff also played a pioneering role in the establishment of the Zukunftskolleg at the University of Konstanz. “Ulrich Raulff was a member of the first Scientific Advisory Board of the Zukunftskolleg following its foundation. In this function, he helped to shape our institution to a considerable degree from 2008 to 2011 We are very pleased that he has accepted this award and know that his talk will be very enriching for Konstanz”, said Professor Giovanni Galizia, director of the Zukunftskolleg, with reference to the awarding of the Zukunftskolleg Lecture Prize to Ulrich Raulff.
The Zukunftskolleg Lecture acknowledges on a regular basis the work of internationally renowned researchers who are closely affiliated to the institution and have been particularly actively involved in its activities. The award winners present their research projects to a wide audience in the framework of a public lecture. Ulrich Raulff is the tenth laureate.
The Zukunftskolleg is a central, interdisciplinary research facility at the University of Konstanz. Its mandate is to support up-and-coming researchers and it is one of the main pillars of the university’s institutional strategy “The Konstanz Model – Towards a Culture of Creativity” in the framework of the German Excellence Initiative.
“How do you write the history of man and horse? Of blind spots, sunken libraries and the dialectics of the ravages of time”.