Lost Cities
Funds interdisciplinary research on how abandoned cities are perceived and their cultural significance across different societies and historical eras.
Funder: Gerda Henkel Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): November 2026 (Full application deadline for Lost Cities special programme, projected)
Funding Amounts: Up to 3 scholarships per group; PhD: €1,920/mo, Postdoc: €2,760/mo, Senior: €3,720/mo; plus travel, material costs; max. 36 months
Summary: Supports interdisciplinary research groups examining the perception and cultural significance of abandoned cities across cultures and historical periods.
Key Information: Applications must be from research groups (min. 2 postdoctoral scholars); individual applications not accepted.
Description
This special programme from the Gerda Henkel Foundation funds interdisciplinary research projects that explore how abandoned or "lost" cities are perceived, interpreted, and remembered in various cultural and historical contexts. The initiative emphasizes the roles of these cities in shaping memory cultures, identity, and critical discourse, rather than focusing on the causes of urban abandonment. Projects should analyze how lost cities are understood, instrumentalized, and coded within societies, and how they contribute to broader narratives and knowledge cultures.
