A warm welcome to the MOTH blog, now part of Theory of History at Work! Follow the @volkswagenstiftung.de funded project "Towards a Material-Oriented Theory of History" (MOTH) as it explores new ways of thinking about history and materiality. #TheoryOfHistory #Materiality #MOTH

Towards a Material-Oriented Theory of History (MOTH)

Rethinking the Ontology of History: From Things of the Past to the Quantum Nature of Historical Phenomena. By Lisa Regazzoni What does history have to do with physics? Or matter with theory of history...

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One week to go! The full program is now available for our exploratory workshop, "Towards a Material-Oriented Theory of History: Rethinking the Ontology of History, organized", organized by @lisaregazzoni.bsky.social as part of the @volkswagenstiftung.de-funded MOTH Project. 📄 Full program below

#REMINDER Tomorrow, #LuisaPasserini will hold a colloquium as part of the #TheoryColloquiumAsAGuestOf series and the workshop “(Inter)Subjectivity in History”. Her lecture is titled “Revisiting the Primacy of Intersubjectivity in History and Historiography.” X-E0-002 | 16-18 h #theoryofhistory

On 9–10 July, @lisaregazzoni.bsky.social and MOTH, our @volkswagenstiftung.de funded project, will host a workshop at Bielefeld University on how physics, quantum mechanics, and new materialism can inspire new approaches to historical knowledge. Join us! Registration: karen.gamm@uni-bielefeld.de

We are pleased to announce that #LuisaPasserini will give a colloquium in one week as part of the series #TheoryColloquiumAsAGuestOf and the workshop "(Inter)Subjectivity in History". Her lecture is titled “Revisiting the Primacy of Intersubjectivity in History and Historiography.”

On 9–10 July, @lisaregazzoni.bsky.social and MOTH, our @volkswagenstiftung.de funded project, will host a workshop at Bielefeld University on how physics, quantum mechanics, and new materialism can inspire new approaches to historical knowledge. Join us! Registration: karen.gamm@uni-bielefeld.de

On 2–3 July 2026, a workshop at #BielefeldUniv, organized by the @zthf.bsky.social with #TeresaMalice and #ChiaraJohannesmeier ,will address “(Inter)Subjectivity in History. Theory, Methods, Analysis". #theoryofhistory #intersubjectivity

📣 Reminder: Information Session Tomorrow! Join us to learn more about Bielefeld University's new Master's programme, Bilder, Medien, Materialität: Historische Perspektiven, and meet the teaching team. 📅 11 June 2026 🕓 16:00–18:00 📍 Room X-E0-205 #Materiality #History #MediaStudies

Towards a Material Oriented Theory of History (MOTH)@mothbielefeld.bsky.social · 2mo ago

We’re pleased to share that Universität Bielefeld is launching the new MA program: Bilder, Medien, Materialität: Historische Perspektiven. MOTH researchers Lisa Regazzoni and Noa Ranzer contribute to its research-oriented curriculum. Learn more at the info session: 11 June 16:00-18:00 X-E0-205

#Reminder Tomorrow is finally the day! #SandraMaß will come to #BielefeldUniv as part of the format #TheoryColloquiumAsAGuestOf and will speak about her book "Zukünftige Vergangenheiten" during a colloquium. #theoryofhistory #futurepasts 09.06.2026 | 6.-8. pm | X-B2-103 / Zoom

We’re pleased to share that Universität Bielefeld is launching the new MA program: Bilder, Medien, Materialität: Historische Perspektiven. MOTH researchers Lisa Regazzoni and Noa Ranzer contribute to its research-oriented curriculum. Learn more at the info session: 11 June 16:00-18:00 X-E0-205

Next week, #SandraMaß will visit us as part of the format #TheoryColloquiumAsAGuestOf . During the #colloquium, she will speak about her book #ZukünftigeVergangenheiten, which offers a closer examination of the internationally debated topic of the Anthropocene. Join us at Bielefeld Univ or online!

An engaging first day at the “The Matter of Time” workshop at Bielefeld University with colleagues from the @zthf.bsky.social and Wesleyan University. In which we presented our @volkswagenstiftung.de funded project and engaged with discussions on #materiality, #physics, and #historicalresearch.

#Reminder Tomorrow evening it’s happening: @marnieh-w.bsky.social delivers this year’s #KoselleckLecture at Bielefeld Univ, rounding off our #TheMatterOfTime workshop. Her talk, “Artificial Historians Colluding”, tackles one of the most urgent questions in today’s historical scholarship.

#Reminder Next week, our joint workshop "The Matter of Time" with the team behind @histandtheojrnl.bsky.social in coop with @volkswagenstiftung.de begins, in which materiality and time as historical dimensions will be discussed in depth. X-A2-103 | 9-18 h #timeasargument #theoryofhistory #moth

Next week, we will welcome@marnieh-w.bsky.social at the #ZThF as part of a #Koselleck-Lecture. Her lecture is titled “Artificial Historians Colluding". 27.05.2026 | 18-20 Uhr | X-E0-001 or Zoom Join us at #BielefeldUniv (Room X E0-001) or online! #artificialhistorians #theoryofhistory

As the workshop “The Matter of Time” approaches, we are pleased to present the panel “Towards a Material-Oriented Theory of History.” Bringing together Lisa Regazzoni, Boaz Paz and Noa Ranzer, the session explores new approaches to materiality in historical research. 📍 26 May, 09:15 | X-A2-103

Lisa Regazzoni engages with questions at the intersection of quantum mechanics, matter, and the theory of history at the #INTH conference in Tallinn, presenting core questions from our @volkswagenstiftung.de–funded research project. Looking forward to her presentation.

Lisa Regazzoni@lisaregazzoni.bsky.social · 3mo ago

What does history have to do with physics? Matter with theory? How can models of physical reality, such as #QuantumMechanics, help us rethink historical reality? Today I am presenting @mothbielefeld.bsky.social, funded by @volkswagenstiftung.de at the #INTH - #TheoryOfHistory Conference in Tallinn.

What if historical objects are not simply “there” to be described, but emerge relationally through the practices by which we engage them? This week, we explored TOOC Object No. 016, reflecting on war, memory, and family histories through #materiality and epistemic practices. @volkswagenstiftung.de

What is at stake when we think historical research through materiality? Join “The Matter of Time” (26–27 May, Universität Bielefeld), a workshop by MOTH, @zthf.bsky.social, and @wesleyanuniversity.bsky.social. Registration now open. #materiality #temporality #theoryofhistory

Zentrum für Theorien in der historischen Forschung@zthf.bsky.social · 3mo ago

On 26-27 May, a workshop at #BielefeldUniv explores @histandtheojrnl.bsky.social how #materiality and #time shape historical research, linking theory, historiography, and interdisciplinary debate. X-A2-103 | 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. #timeasargument #materialitybetweenpastandfuture #theoryofhistory

📣 Welche Geschichten können materielle Familienerinnerungen erzählen? Eine spannende Suche nach Antworten und nach neuen Fragen von Julian Gräml in „Der Nutzen des Kreuzes“, entstanden im Rahmen einer Lehrveranstaltung von @sinasteglich.bsky.social (@lmu.de). Enjoy it! 👇 gtw.hypotheses.org/35655

Der Nutzen des Kreuzes. Memorialobjekte aus Massenproduktion als Frage- und Antwortgeber

Julian Gräml - Inmitten von Geburtsurkunden und spießigen Urlaubsfotos findet sich ein Kriegsverdienstkreuz aus der NS-Zeit. Was zunächst Nachforschungen über den eigenen Urgroßvater auslöst, wirft sc...

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💡 Here, the Study Group "Think Tank Theory" is diving into M. Hughes-Warrington's (@marnieh-w.bsky.social) wonderful article, “Ethics for Artificial Historians” (H&T 2025), in anticipation of her upcoming #KoselleckLecture, “Artificial Historians Colluding”, on 27 May at the ZThF @zthf.bsky.social

📣 A proposition for (historico-)theoretical thinkers by Maja-Lisa Müller on our blog—an absolutely worth-reading text on containers... of space and time 👇 gtw.hypotheses.org/35392

Containers: A Proposition for a Preposition

Maja-Lisa Müller - “Let us not reify containers”. Archaeologist John Robb begins his short article Contained within history with this statement. His approach may seem a little curious, given the key r...

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To mark the start of the semester, the MOTH team gathered to reflect on materiality through hands-on work with a ceramic object. Guided by Noa Ranzer, we explored how different practices shape the way we see, inquire, and understand traces of the past and their transformations. #TheoryOfHistory

Spring marked the start of MOTH at Bielefeld University (funded by @volkswagenstiftung.de). Led by @lisaregazzoni.bsky.social, we explored material analysis as a way to rethink the study of the past and connect the natural sciences with the humanities. A first step in a four-year journey.

A new research project at Bielefeld University, funded by the @volkswagenstiftung.de, has officially launched. Led by Professor @lisaregazzoni.bsky.social, the project develops a Material-Oriented Theory of History (MOTH), exploring how matter and materiality can reshape approaches to the past.