Islamic Studies / Arabic Studies

With the holdings of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, the DMG Library and the acquisitions of the SSG and the FID, the University and State Library possesses one of the largest and most comprehensive collections on the so-called MENA region and Islam. The Key areas The focus is on linguistics and literary studies as well as religious studies, but since 1998 has also included the humanities and social sciences relating to the Middle East and North Africa.

Contact persons

Dr Volker Adam (Islamic Studies)

This link takes you to a list of all the subjects that person supervises.

Contact

You can find the contact details of the relevant contact person here.

Susanne Reich (Arabic Studies)

This link takes you to a list of all the subjects that person supervises.

Contact

You can find the contact details of the relevant contact person here.

Library holdings and acquisitions

There are occasional gaps in the collection of Western secondary literature published between 1945 and 1990; however, these gaps are being continuously filled, insofar as they are relevant to current teaching and research. The seminar’s current collection priorities are aligned with the university’s teaching profile and encompass newly published Western secondary literature. Textbooks and introductory works are available in German or English. The FID acquires whereas it is predominantly in the languages of the MENA region.

Research

Titles relating to Arabic and Islamic studies are predominantly held in the Middle East / Ethnology Branch Library and must be ordered from there via Ha:lit. When searching for titles in non-Latin scripts, the rules applicable within the German library system Rules on transcriptions Please note: The collection of ordered media takes place at the counter of the Steintor Campus Branch Library. With a few exceptions, items held in the stacks can be borrowed to take home. In the reading room of the Branch Library: Near East / Ethnology There is a section containing general reference works and dictionaries.

Website of the FID Centre for Middle Eastern, North African and Islamic Studies

The specialist portal Menalib provides you with an overview of the various services offered by the FID, as well as access to the printed and electronic resources on Arabic studies, Middle Eastern studies and Islamic studies acquired by the FID.

Training courses

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

Journals on Islamic Studies

You can find journals on Islamic studies available in electronic form in the Electronic Journals Library (EZB).

Journals on Arabic Studies

You can find journals on Arabic studies available in electronic form in the Electronic Journals Library (EZB).

Databases DBIS

To search for literature on Arabic and Islamic studies, there are various specialist databases available, which you can find in the ULB’s Database Information System (DBIS).

FID databases

You can access the databases and trials licensed by the FID via Menalib.

Please remember that when carrying out research from outside the university network, you must first VPN- Activate the connection.

History and Profile of the Subject

The study of Oriental languages at MLU dates back to the university’s founding, although until the 19th century, the focus was primarily on Semitic languages such as Hebrew, to support biblical exegesis within the field of theology. In the early 19th century, what was then known as ‘Oriental Studies’ broke away from theology and initially focused on the philological study of Semitic languages. In the process, the Arabic language increasingly became the centre of attention. With the establishment of the Library of the German Oriental Society (DMG) Towards the end of the 19th century, the collection of Arabic, Persian and Turkish literature in Halle grew significantly. Following the appointment of the renowned Semitist Carl Brockelmann to the Chair of Semitic Studies in 1910, the Department of Oriental Studies was established at the University of Halle in 1918. Today, the Institute of Oriental Studies comprises several departments, including the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, with teaching focusing not only on Arabic but also on Persian and Turkish. From 1998 onwards, the Department has benefited from the extensive acquisitions and services provided by the Special Collection Area (SSG) ‘The Near East, including North Africa’ (1998–2015), managed by the ULB, as well as from the Specialist Information Service (FID) for Middle Eastern, North African and Islamic Studies (since 2016)