Lost Cities
Funds interdisciplinary research groups to study how abandoned cities are culturally perceived, remembered, and represented across different eras and regions.
Funder: Gerda Henkel Foundation
Due Dates: May 27, 2026
Funding Amounts: Up to 3 scholarships per research group; monthly rates: €2,760 (postdoc), €3,720 (postdoctoral lecture qualification), plus travel/material aid; max. duration 36 months.
Summary: Supports interdisciplinary research groups investigating the cultural perception and lived experience of abandoned cities across historical periods and world regions.
Description
This program funds interdisciplinary research groups exploring how abandoned cities ("lost cities") are perceived, interpreted, and remembered in different cultures and historical contexts. Rather than focusing on why cities are abandoned, the emphasis is on the meanings, narratives, and cultural roles ascribed to these sites—such as identity negotiation, memory, myth-making, and critiques of progress. Projects should address these themes through collaborative research by teams of at least two scholars, fostering new insights into the cultural, political, and artistic significance of urban abandonment.
