Prof. Dr. Elke Brüggen

As a specialist for language, literature and culture of the German Middle Ages, Elke Brüggen focuses on literary constellations concerning opportunities to exert political influence and power. She gives particular attention to literary negotiations of counselling, an instrument which is central to the concept and practice of rule and to social order. Thus she highlights counsels given to rulers by dependent individuals from their entourage. In order to close a gap in research, particular attention is given to the relationships of female rulers and their confidants and to the particularly interesting character of the female adviser. Within the configuration of female ruler and female adviser she seeks to reveal the relationship between dependency and power to act and to explore narrated forms of dependency that are partially existentially threatening, depicted within constellations that display emotional proximity of various origin as well as social distance and hierarchy.

4 monographs and edited volumes, 43 articles, various reviews. Numerous national and international lectures and presentations. 1 supervised finished habilitation, 1 ongoing habilitation, 8 completed and 5 ongoing Ph.D. theses as first and second reviewer, numerous Magister- and exam theses and approximately 28 M.A. and 34 B.A. theses as first or second reviewer.

1995
Habilitation in German Philology and Venia legendi in German Studies              

1986
Ph.D. in German Studies, University of Cologne, Germany

1975–1982
M.A. Studies in German Studies, English Studies, Theater, Film and TV Studies, Art History, University of Cologne, Germany

since 1997
Professor for Older German Studies, University of Bonn, Germany

2012/2014/2016
Guest lecturer in Seoul (South Korea) and Tokyo (Japan)

1984–1995
Research Associate at the Institute for German Language and Literature, University of Cologne, Germany

since 2002
Deputy spokesperson for the DFG Collaborative Research Center 1167 "'Macht' und 'Herrschaft': Vormoderne Konfigurationen in transkultureller Perspektive" ['Macht' and 'Herrschaft': Premodern Configurations in a Transcultural Perspective]

since 2002
Founding member of the Bonn Center for Transcultural Narratology (BZTN)

Founding member and Deputy Spokesperson of the Medieval Studies Center of the University of Bonn (BMZ)