Which pasts are valued and why? How has this changed historically and in what ways is it changing today? What gets to count as heritage and in what broader global and local transformations is this entangled? How can heritage be proactively changed to help address pressing social, political and environmental problems, including those of decolonization, cultural conflict and climate crisis? And how do the arts, humanities and social sciences need to be done differently to comprehend and enable the potential of such transformations?

This lecture series introduces and showcases exciting trans- and multi-disciplinary humanities approaches to such questions. It does so with a particular focus on the following three strands of ongoing transformation: the decentring of the West (Europe/Global North); the decentring of the Human; and the transformation of value. These three strands structure the research programme of the Humboldt University’s new Käte Hamburger Centre for Advanced Study inherit. heritage in transformation. Lecture series contributors will be drawn from inherit’s core team and international fellows, which include artists of various media as well as researchers from a wide range of humanities and social sciences, such as anthropology, art history, history, literature, philosophy, political science and sociology.


Semester: WiSe 2024/25