Curriculum

Christina Wessely is Professor of Cultural History as well as a member of the DFG Research Training Group "Cultures of Critique". Her teaching areas are in the field of cultural history and the history of knowledge. She is particularly interested in the cultural history of nature and the history of the life sciences, with a focus on the "long" 19th century. The history of ecological forms of knowledge, the history of human-animal relations and their institutions are also among her research interests.

Scientific Career

• since 10/2025: Dean of the Leuphana School of Culture and Society
• since 03/2016: Dean of Studies (Master) of the School of Cultural Studies
• since winter term 2014: Professor of Cultural History, Leuphana University Lüneburg
• 2014: Habilitation at the Humboldt University of Berlin, venia legendi for Modern and Contemporary History
• 2012 - 2014: Research assistant at the Chair for the History of Science, Institute of Historical Studies, Humboldt University of Berlin
• 2011 - 2012: Visiting Researcher at the Institute for Culture and Aesthetics of Digital Media, Leuphana University
• 2010 - 2011: Research Coordinator at the Doctoral Program "Natural Sciences in Historical, Philosophical and Cultural Context", University of Vienna
• 2010: Lecturer at the Seminar for Cultural Studies and Science Research, University of Lucerne
• 2009-2010: Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin (Department III, Hans-Jörg Rheinberger)
• 2007-2009: Research Associate at the Institute of History, University of Vienna
• 2007: Visiting Fellow at the Department of the History of Science, Harvard University 2005-2006: Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin (Department III, Hans-Jörg Rheinberger)
• 2004: PhD, thesis: "The Nature of the City. Zoological Gardens and Urban Modernity”, University of Vienna
• 2000 - 2004: Doctoral studies at the University of Vienna and at University College London
• Project assistant at the Institute of History, University of Vienna
• 1995 - 2000: Studies of History and German at the University of Vienna and the Free University of Berlin

Fellowships & Awards

• 10/2018 - 01/201: Senior Fellowship at the Internationales Forschungszentrum Kulturwissenschaften (IFK), Vienna
• 07/2018: Teaching Award of the Leuphana University Lüneburg (at the suggestion of the students, MA seminar: The Knowledge of Myth)
• 07/2015: Teaching Award of the Leuphana University Lüneburg (best teaching concept, BA seminar: Campus of Things)
• 10/2013: Nomination of the monograph "Welteis. Eine wahre Geschichte" for the longlist as "Science Book of the Year" of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy
• 06/2013: Winning the Otto-Hintze-Young Talent Award of the "Michael-und-Claudia-Borgolte-Stiftung zur Förderung der Geschichtswissenschaften an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin" for the monograph "Welteis. A true story"
• 2005-2006 & 2009-2010: Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin (Department III, Hans-Jörg Rheinberger)
• 2007: Visiting Fellowship at the Department of the History of Science, Harvard University

Membership in Advisory Boards and Juries

• Since October 2025: Chair of the Advisory Board of the Academy Project "Ernst Haeckel (1834–1919): Briefedition", Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences
• since 09/2021: Member of the Advisory Board of the Academy Project "Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919): Briefedition", Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences and Humanities
• 2021: Member of the International Advisory Board of 'INTRA - Angewandte Program for Trans- & Interdisciplinary Projects in Art and Science, University of Applied Arts - die Angewandte, Vienna
• 2017-2020: Member of the jury 'Opus Primum' of the VolkswagenFoundation

Teaching

Lehrgebiete: Kultur- und Wissensgeschichte

Research interests

Forschungsinteressen: Kulturgeschichte der Natur und Geschichte der Lebenswissenschaften mit Schwerpunkt im 'langen' 19. Jahrhundert, v.a. Geschichte ökologischer Wissensformen, Geschichte der Mensch-Tier-Beziehungen und ihrer Institutionen, Epistemologien des Umgebens