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Research Centers of the University of Marburg

Marburg Center for Digital Culture and Infrastructure (MCDCI)

The Marburg Center for Digital Culture & Infrastructure (MCDCI) is an interdisciplinary research center that focuses on researching digital methods in the humanities and social sciences as well as the digital transformation of society, culture, and science. The MCDCI is supported by the University of Marburg together with the Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe – Institute of the Leibniz Association, the Hessian State Archives (Marburg), the Marburg Archives School – Academy for Archival Science, and the Hessian Institute for Regional History. To the website of the Marburg Center for Digital Culture and Infrastructure.

Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB)

The Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB) is jointly supported by the Philipps-Universität Marburg, the Justus Liebig University Giessen and the Technical University of Darmstadt. The joint interdisciplinary research is aiming for a better understanding of human brain function, the human mind and human behavior, under participation of the relevant disciplines, especially Psychology, Neurosciences, Biology, Medicine, Pharmaceutics, Physics and Computer Sciences. The projects from areas as broad as from basic research to translational approaches cover topics from the subcellular level up to brain and behavior of healthy subjects as well as neurological and psychiatric patients.

Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Microcosm Earth Center (MEC)

The Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) was founded in January 2010 by the Philipps-Universität Marburg, the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology (MPI) and die Max Planck Society – with support by the hessian Program for Excellence LOEWE. Since 2019 it is an academic center within the University, in collaboration with the MPI. Here, new functional units will be synthesized and integrated into cells, to develop microorganisms with new features and applications.

The Microcosm Earth Center (MEC) is based on the long-standing, successful collaboration between the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and the University of Marburg. It lays the foundation for the early development of new topics and the promotion of outstanding young talent in the field of microbiology. In a highly cooperative environment and with state-of-the-art equipment, the members of the Center conduct research into solutions to the major questions of our time.

Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies (CNMS)

The Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies (CNMS), founded in 2006, with currently seven professorships, a number of staff and a broad network, is bringing together expertise in topics as broad as languages, history, literature, religion, archaeology, geography, politics, social sciences and economics. By such, it is allowing for understanding and accessing the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa with Iran and Turkey) in an overall context. For further information please visit the homepage of the center.

Foto Marburg Picture Archive

The Foto Marburg Picture Archive is a nationally and internationally acting research and service center under the roof of the Philipps-Universität Marburg. The Center is covering the collection, accessibility and mediation of photography with respect to European arts and architecture. It is also covering the research on history, practice and theory of the tradition of the visual representation of cultural asset, with a special emphasis on investigating the connected media processes of transformation, the conditions of visually represented knowledge-storage, and the importance of remembrance of visually represented culture in the society. With about 2.0 million pictures the Foto Marburg Picture Archive is one of the biggest of its kind in Europe. For further information please visit the homepage of the center.

Linguistic Atlas of Germany (DSA)

Central task of the Linguistic Atlas of Germany (DSA) is the investigation of dialects, substandard language varieties and regional languages of the German language. For addressing this task the atlas is offering broad research opportunities to the scientific community. This is covering comprehensive, for the most part unique, collections and documentations, a specialized library, linguistic language data acquisition and analyses equipment, and a language geography computer laboratory. In May 2016 the Linguistic Atlas did move into a new, 10.5 million euros worth building within Marburg. The highly specialized and internationally well-connected research team of the DSA is working with a focus on dialectology, regional languages research, phonetics, prosody, phonology, morphology, and syntax in research and teaching. It is developing methods for linguistic data collection and analyses. For further information please visit the homepage of the center.

The International Research and Documentation Centre for War Crimes Trials (ICWC)

Research and documentation on historical sources, especially in the context of war crimes trials is the main task of the International Research and Documentation Centre for War Crimes Trials (ICWC). Within this context the ICWC team is collecting worldwide dispersed sources of incidence and is analyzing these from various scientific perspectives. By such, the ICWC is not only a central collection providing access to these sources, but also holds a comprehensive and constantly growing data base, allowing for fast and easy access on this tremendous pool of relevant information. For further information please visit the homepage of the center.

Marburg Center for the Ancient World (MCAW)  

The Marburg Center for the Ancient World (MCAW) is a group of classical studies subjects, covering a time span from about 2000 BC until 500 AD. The group first joined in 2009, with the official foundation of the center following in 2013. Topics of interest are the states, nations and cultures of the Mediterraneum with their neighboring nations and the Near East. The MCAW aims for interdisciplinary research and teaching. Here, thanks to the combination of subjects coming with various methods and specific research cultures, with their own sources, bases and perspectives, addressing complex, overarching research questions is possible. . For further information please visit the homepage of the center.

Scientific Center for Material Sciences (WZMW) 

The research focus of the Scientific Center for Material Sciences (WZMW), founded in 1989, is embedded in the departments of Chemistry and Physiks, with a strong impact on research and teaching. Today, broad activities in solid-state physics, polymer chemistry and physics, inorganic and organic chemistry, and biochemistry are established. The WZMW is fostering material sciences by a systematical and continuous development of further research foci at the Philipps-Universität as well as on the national and international level. Furthermore, the WZMW is supporting.

Center for Gender Studies and Feminist Futurology

The Center adds on strengthening and profiling in gender studies and feminist futurology at the Philipps-Universität by coordinating, connecting and sustaining relevant research activities. It is providing support by organizing meetings, workshops and other events in this context, as well as presenting publications and data bases. Furthermore, the center is highly active in outreach as well as teaching. For the latter, the center is organizing and coordinating the study program ‘Gender Studies and Feminist Futurology’ at the end of which a certificate is awarded and where the individual modules may be imported into various other study programs. For further information please visit the homepage of the center.

Center for Interdisciplinary Religious Research (ZIR)

The Center for Interdisciplinary Religious Research (ZIR) is working interdisciplinary on the importance of religion for the individual, social communities and cultures. Thereby it is considering historical and contemporary phenomena by taking a comparative perspective.

Center for Conflict Studies (CCS)

The Center for Conflict Studies (CCS) is a central part of interdisciplinary collaboration and the study of peace and conflict at the Philipps University in Marburg. Research at the CCS is, among others, focusing on the appraisal of human rights violations and the peace process after massive violence, together with intergroup conflicts as well as with the politics of international administrations in post-war societies. Contemporary scientific and political questions are furthermore discussed in the CSS lecture series.

Teacher Training Center (ZfL)

With the reformation of a number of laws with respect to teacher training in recent years education politics in Hesse is aiming for a more practical orientation in teacher training. To implement and promote these aims the Philipps-Universität established the teacher training Center (ZfL). The ZfL is in charge of securing the range of courses, general rules (ABL), additional qualifications, practical classes, evaluation, study guidance, professorial appointments in the teacher training unit, collaboration with the second phase, school and teaching research, and further training.