As the shared history of many historical and contemporary collectives, Mediterranean history can only be understood by taking into account different perspectives. Finance within the framework of an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), the workshop on Mediterranean Connections (10-14 October 2022) highlights the complexities and ambiguities of a world region that constitutes both a shared space and a boundary. It is coordinated by the department of history at the University of Konstanz (Daniel G. König) in intensive cooperation with the Aegean University (Eleni Gara), New Bulgarian University (Mariana Malinova), and Paris 8 (Alexis Drach), thus bringing together four different universities pertaining to the ERUA-network, each representing a different linguistic and academic tradition of historical studies.
Moving from Antiquity to the 21st century, the workshop explores three main themes that allow us to approach phenomena of Mediterranean connectivity from different angles: Spatial Configurations, Infrastructures, Temporalities. It is divided into five thematic sections that address the triad of spatial configurations, infrastructures, and temporalities from different perspectives and in modes that transcend the usual period-oriented approach adopted in the teaching of history: (1) Frameworks and Infrastructures, (2) Transfer of Knowledge, (3) Mobility and Identity, (4) Religion and Social Interaction, (5) Conflicts, Trauma and Memory.
Programme of the Workshop
Blended Intensive programmes (BIPs)
Blended Intensive programmes (BIPs) are a new funding line within the Erasmus+ programme, consisting of a joint virtual as well as a short-term ‘on-site' learning period at one of the involved higher education institutions. For “Mediterranean Connections” the virtual learning period will start on 23rd September 2022 with an online meeting (compare Professor König’s message), the on-site learning period will take place in Konstanz, Germany, from 10th - 14th October 2022 (10th as arrival and 1st programme day, 14th as closing and departure day). The course/BIP will conclude with an online meeting which is currently scheduled for 2nd December 2022.
Mobility period and Erasmus+ funding
The Erasmus+ programme offers funding for the mobility period of a BIP. Students accepted to this BIP will be entitled to a € 70 mobility grant per day (only travelling students, not those from Konstanz). The on-site learning period will take place from 10th - 14th October, so 5 working days. The mobility grant (and possible additional) lump sums will be provided to you by your home institutions, these are called “sending institutions” in Erasmus+ terms. You will hence be guided through the necessary steps for requesting your mobility grants by the administrative Erasmus+ coordinators from your home institution (Paris8: Fazio Filomena filomena.fazio@univ-paris8.fr, New Bulgarian: Stefanie Kaldaramova skaldaramova@nbu.bg, Aegean: Varkaraki Christina cvark@aegean.gr).
Academic coordinators of the workshop
This only refers to students who have already been accepted for the study programme. Registration date has expired!
Information on your individual requirements will be provided to you by your academic coordinators from your home institution:
Bulgaria: Mariana Malinova
France: Alexis Drach
Germany: Daniel König
Greece: Eleni Gara
Travelling to Konstanz
Konstanz is easily reached by train. The main station is called "Konstanz Hauptbahnhof", where the majority of public transport busses stop.
If you travel by plane, the closest airport to Konstanz is Zurich Airport (Siwtzerland), where you may take a train to Konstanz Hauptbahnhof. Trains leave every half hour and take between 1:06 (direct trains) and 1:15 (1 change) hours to Konstanz. Train timetables may be found on the website of the Schweizer Bundesbahnen (Swiss national train service) .
An alternative airport would be Stuttgart Airport. Depending on the connection, it would take between 2 h 42 min and 3 h 43 min to get from Stuttgart to Konstanz by train.
Train connections my be booked through the website of the Deutsche Bahn (German railway).
How to get to the University of Konstanz
Address:
University of Konstanz
Universitätsstr. 10
78464 Konstanz
Bus from city centre and train station: line 9 (A or B, two routes, same destination, stop: “Universität”).
Bus from the Youth Hostel: line 4/13 (stop: "Egg/Universität” and short walk up the hill, going up some steps and across a wooden bridge).
Accomodation arrangements for the registered students
Only for registered and accepted students (registration date has expired):
We have reserved rooms for you at the Youth Hostel in Konstanz (address: Zur Allmannshöhe 16, D-78464 Konstanz).
How to get to the Youth Hostel: Having arrived in Konstanz you would walk out the train station and directly find yourself at the bus stop where bus line 4/13 will take off. Your stop is called “Jugendherberge” and from that stop you will have to do a short walk.
The booking is from Monday 10 until Friday 14 October 2022. The Youth Hostel offers only same-sex rooms and full board, which is what has been reserved for you. Your contact for questions concerning your accommodation may be addressed to Heidi Engelmann.
Please note: You should bring your own towels, because the hostel does not provide them. Trying to be gentle to our environment, please also bring your own lunch box and a refillable bottle as well as you will be able to pack your own lunch bag during breakfast – THANK YOU!
Dinner at the Youth Hostel is served from 6-7 p.m. Since you have some dinners scheduled with the whole BIP-group elsewhere on some days, we let the hostel know that you will not have dinner with them on those evenings. Breakfast as well as dinner is an open buffet, so you can choose from different mains/side dishes and avoid ingredients that you do not like/tolerate. The lunch boxes are packed by yourselves from the options at the breakfast buffet, so there you have the choice as well.
Accomodation arrangements for the registered lecturers
Single rooms are booked for you at Hotel Hirschen from Monday 10 until Friday 14 October 2022. If you have any questions concerning your reservation please contact Heidi Engelmann.
Health, accident and liability Insurance
It is each participant’s personal responsibility to make sure they are well and fully covered with health, accident and liability insurance during their stay! We need to emphasise that participants will not be insured through the University of Konstanz for the duration of their stay with us in October. As our short-term visitors will not be enrolled as students, the university will not cover any insurance aspects for participants of the BIP. We hence kindly ask you to get in touch with your insurance company to check whether or not you would have to add anything to your current police in order to be well-covered during your stay with us. When doing so, please also enquire whether or not your insurance policy would cover a transport home, and if this would also be the case during a pandemic. In the past two years we had to learn (with our own outgoing students) that a lot of policies actually rule out this scenario.