Management changes at the Georg Eckert Institute

There have been significant management changes at the GEI in 2015. Three departments (“Library”, “Digital Information and Research Infrastructure” and “Textbooks as Media”) are under new leadership in the shape of Dr Anke Hertling, Prof. Ernesto De Luca and Prof. Felicitas Macgilchrist, and a new head of department will shortly take over in a fourth department (“Textbooks and Society”). The most significant of the personnel changes this year is the change of director. Prof Simone Lässig, who has been director of the Institute for many years, has taken a five-year sabbatical in order to lead the German Historical Institute in Washington DC in the USA. During her nine-year tenure as director Simone Lässig made many strategic changes in the orientation of the Georg Eckert Institute. Under her leadership the Institute was admitted to the Leibnitz Association in 2011 which was a glowing endorsement of its research performance. The increased prominence and international reputation of the Institute is due in no small part to her dedication and commitment to international textbook research. The new director of the Institute is Prof. Eckhardt Fuchs, who worked alongside Simone Lässig initially as research director of the Institute between 2007 and 2009 and subsequently as deputy director.

Eckhardt Fuchs will continue the focus on research performance closely interlinked with the provision of innovative research infrastructures and the transfer of knowledge to the non-academic community. He aims to continue to strengthen the regional and supra-regional stature of the GEI and to expand its domestic and international role as a centre of competence for textbook research. The principle focus for the coming years is to address the current debates in textbook research regarding the three key aspects of diversity, globality and the digital world, and to analyse their respective interconnections from a range of disciplinary perspectives. “I am looking forward to continuing the successful research work of the Institute in partnership with a competent and highly motivated team of academics and specialists. Demonstrating the social significance and relevance of textbook research, stimulating debates and furthering discussion are integral aspects of our work” stated Eckhardt Fuchs when discussing his new role as director. Alongside him will be Dr Sandra Mass, who joined the GEI as deputy director on 1 October 2015.