Hauptinhalt

Aktuelle Forschungsprojekte

  • History of Agnosticism in Modern Iran: An Inquiry into the Persian Literature of Death of God During the Constitutional Revolution of Iran – Dr. Behzad Zerehdaran (Humboldt Research Fellow)

    The study of agnosticism in the Islamic context unveils a long history of intellectual challenge, tracing back to the dawn of Islam and extending into contemporary periods. Key figures such as Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ, Jābir bin Ḥayyān, al-Rāzī, al-Muʿarrī, and Khayyām played seminal roles in fostering a culture of doubt and inquiry within the Islamic tradition, despite facing significant opposition.
    A pivotal era for the expression of these sceptical views was the late 19th century, particularly during the Constitutional Revolution of Iran.

    My research delves into Persian literature that reflects the theme of the "Death of God" during this transformative period. A focal point of my study involves preparing a critical edition of an unpublished manuscript by Kermani, titled "Genesis and Analysis" [takvin va tashrih].
    In this work, Kermani presents a radical critique, arguing that the concepts of state and religion are socially constructed, and that the notion of God is merely a collective psychological mechanism devised by humans to confront their existential anxieties. He further introduces the "God of Gaps" theory, suggesting that God serves to rationalize what is otherwise irrational and to provide explanations for phenomena beyond human comprehension.

  • Women in 20th-Century Iranian Theatre History – Dr. Anna Heller (research fellow)

    Under Pahlavi rule (1925-1979), women became increasingly visible in the performing arts. In terms of historical documentation, however, the existing works of theatre historiography do not reflect this visibility to the same extent.

    Starting from Loretā Hāyrāpetiyān's biography, Dr Anna Heller's current research addresses the invisibility of women in Iranian theatre history. Loretā (1911-1998) and a few other non-Muslim women were pioneers of female acting in the 1920s, overcoming enormous social and familial obstacles to practice their art. Through her work as an actress, director, translator and theatre manager, Loretā had a profound impact on the development of the performing arts.
    After her marriage to ʿAbdoḷ̣hoseyn Nūšīn, one of the founders of the new theatre, the couple sought to develop the new Iranian theatre as part of modern high culture. Following a gendered segmentation of theatre history, however, the biographies of Loretā and Nūšīn have been treated as isolated stories within the larger narrative of theatre history, although the life of one cannot be told without that of the other.

    Following questions of feminist theatre history, Dr Heller seeks to embed their stories in a comprehensive account of Iranian theatre history. A further step is to review and rewrite Iranian theatre history from a gender-inclusive perspective.

  • Gholāmhossein Sāʿedis (1936-1985) Kurzgeschichten - Behrooz Shojaeian (Doktorand)

    Gholāmhossein Sāʿedis (1936-1985) Kurzgeschichten behandeln eine Vielzahl von Themen seiner Zeit, wie etwa die psychische Verfassung der Angestellten in den Unternehmen der späteren Pahlavi-Ära oder das Verschwinden von Ritualen und Bräuchen in verschiedenen Regionen des damaligen Iran. Obwohl Saʿedi vor allem als einer der drei großen Dramatiker Irans bekannt ist, ist er als Autor dieser Kurzgeschichten weniger erforscht.

    Ziel des Projektes ist es, eine chronologische Untersuchung der Kurzgeschichten Saʿedis unter Berücksichtigung seines Lebens, seiner politischen Ansichten und der sozialen Umstände seiner Zeit durchzuführen. Aufgrund der thematischen Vielfalt der Kurzgeschichten wird für jede Sammlung eine angemessene Methodik gewählt, die von sozialwissenschaftlichen und postkolonialen bis hin zu psychoanalytischen Ansätzen reicht.

    Die zentralen und peripheren Forschungsfragen lauten: Welche kulturellen und sozialen Hintergründe verbergen sich hinter diesen Kurzgeschichten? Was können diese Geschichten über Zensur, politische Situationen und die Rolle der Religion in der Gesellschaft aussagen? Inwieweit ist der Einfluss Dschalāl Āl-e Ahmads und anderer Zeitgenossen in diesen Werken erkennbar? Welche neuen Schlüsse lassen sich aus diesen Erzählungen ziehen, wenn man sie vor dem Hintergrund psychoanalytischer Studien betrachtet?

  • Female Character’s Multi-Faceted Self: Individuality in Short Fiction written by Afghan Female Writers after 1978 - Anita Karimi (PhD fellow) 

    This project intends to examine the multi aspects of self and individuality in short fiction written by Afghan female writers after 1978. Each chapter will explore the concept of self in one narration in relation to concepts such as space, diaspora, emancipation, integration, trauma, marginalization, and otherness.
    The time frame of this study spans the period from 1978 onwards, firstly because the outstanding works of Afghan female writers were created mainly as a result of social reforms beginning with the administration of Muḥamad Dāwūd ḫān, and continued after the "Sawr coup d'état". Secondly, because the "Sawr coup d'état" marked the commencement of an era of ongoing civil war and foreign intervention which subsequently reflected in the works of Afghan female writers.
    My criterion for selecting female writers is their prominent position in literary theory. A further significant criterion for me involves the fact that these women writers meet the standards of modern writing. I select the narratives that are penned in Persian/Dari and originated outside of Afghanistan, that is, in the diaspora. Ultimately, their work should provide answers to my research questions.

Abgeschlossene Forschungsprojekte