Technical information
Ethnology
The ULB holds an older, historical collection of printed works on folklore and ethnology dating from before 1945, as well as acquisitions made by the department since 2002, which reflect the sometimes-changing research interests of the university lecturers. Nevertheless, in the years since 2002, the department has succeeded in acquiring many seminal works in modern ethnology, meaning that the collection covers the subject in its entirety.
Contact person
This link takes you to a list of all the subjects that person supervises.
You can find the contact details of the relevant contact person here.
Library Collection & Acquisitions
The University and State Library holds an older, historical collection of printed works on folklore and ethnology dating from before 1945 (predominantly in German), as well as acquisitions made by the department since 2002, which reflect the sometimes-changing research interests of the university lecturers. Nevertheless, since 2002, the library has succeeded in acquiring many fundamental works of modern ethnology, meaning that the collection covers the subject in its entirety. The research literature is predominantly in English, whilst textbooks and introductory works are frequently also available in German.
There are still gaps in the collection relating to post-1945 literature, but the focus of research and teaching currently lies on topics that are well covered by the existing collection. The current collection priorities are aligned with the profile of university teaching, and the aim is to continuously expand access to electronic content.
Research
Titles relating to ethnology are almost exclusively held in the Near East / Ethnology Branch Library’s stacks and must be ordered from there via Ha:lit. The collection of ordered items is handled at the counter of the Steintor Campus Branch Library. There is also a reference collection in the entrance area containing general reference works on ethnology. With a few exceptions, items held in the stacks may be borrowed to take home.
Consultancy and training services
At regular intervals, we organise library induction sessions, literature search and reference management workshops, as well as advisory services on publication strategies and research data management.
Collection of subject-related links
You can find the subject’s electronically available journals in the Electronic Journals Library (EZB).
To search for ethnological literature, there are various specialist databases available, which you can find in the ULB’s Database Information System (DBIS).
Please remember that when carrying out research from outside the university network, you must VPN- Activate the connection.
History and Profile of the Subject
Ethnological studies were initially conducted at MLU only for a short period between 1919 and 1922 as part of a teaching appointment, yet the ULB continuously acquired publications on folklore and ethnology from the second half of the 19th century to the mid-20th century. The discipline of folklore tends to focus on the traditions and customs of the region and of Germany in a broader sense. The now obsolete term ‘Völkerkunde’ (also ‘ethnography’) tended to refer to the study of non-European ethnic groups and cultures. More recently, ‘Völkerkunde’ has been superseded by the terms ‘ethnology’ and ‘social and cultural anthropology’. In 2002, the Department of Ethnology was established as the newest ethnological institute in Germany, a development linked to the founding of the Max Planck Institute for Ethnological Research in Halle in 1998.
The subject is currently represented at MLU by three professorships, which adopt a distinctly ethnological perspective on current issues facing modern global society in both research and teaching. The cornerstones of the programme are fieldwork, proficiency in qualitative methods and ethnological writing. Ethnology can be studied as part of a Bachelor’s degree programme as well as two Master’s degree programmes (taught in both German and English).