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MAX-PLANCK-INSTITUT FÜR WISSENSCHAFTSGESCHICHTE Max Planck Institute for the History of Science

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    Institute

    Founded in 1994, the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) in Berlin is one of the more than 80 research institutes administered by the Max Planck Society. It is dedicated to the study of the history of science and aims to understand scientific thinking and practice as historical phenomena.

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    People

    The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science comprises scholars across all Departments and Research Groups, as well as an Administration team, IT Support, Library, Digital Humanities, and Research Communication and Management team.

    • Staff & Scholars
    • Artists in Residence
    • Journalists in Residence
    • Alumni (Since 2015)
  • Research

    Research

    The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science comprises departments under the direction of Etienne Benson and Dagmar Schäfer.

     

    In addition are Research Groups, each directed by one Research Group Leader.

     

    The Institute also comprises of a Digital Humanities Team, doctoral students, an International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS), and research and teaching cooperations with other institutions worldwide.

    • II: Knowledge Systems and Collective Life
    • III: Artifacts, Action, Knowledge
    • RGs
    • RG: Astral Sciences in Trans-Regional Asia (ASTRA)
    • RG: China in the Global System of Science
    • RG: Premodern Sciences of Soul & Body
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    • Digital Humanities Team
    • International Max Planck Research School
    • MP Sabbatical Award: Historicizing Deep Time
    • Cooperations
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  • Publications & Resources

    Publications & Resources

    The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) engages with the research community and broader public, and is committed to open access.

     

    This section provides access to published research results and electronic sources in the history of science. It is also a platform for sharing ongoing research projects that develop digital tools.

     

    Researchers at the Institute benefit from an internal library service. The Institute’s research is also made accessible to the wider public through edited Feature Stories and the Mediathek’s audio and video content.

     

    • Publications
    • Library
    • Digital Resources & Databases
    • Mediathek
    • Research Reports
    • Feature Stories
    • Open Access to Scholarly Knowledge
  • News & Events

    News & Events

    The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science frequently shares news, including calls for papers and career opportunities. The Media & Press section highlights press releases and the Institute's appearances in national and global media. Public events—including colloquia, seminars, and workshops—are shown on the events overview.

    • Events
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  • Career

    Career

    These pages present the range of opportunities to work at the MPIWG. They list current advertisements for jobs and fellowships, explain the framework of each type of role, provide information on special programs, and describe the working environment at the Institute.

    • Current Job Opportunities
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    • About Positions at the MPIWG
    • Fellowship Program
    • Research Stays
    • Journalist-in-Residence Program
    • Artist-in-Residence Fellowships
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    • Working at the MPIWG

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Feature stories

No 88
Indian board game Pretwa. Source: Sandra Prengel, 2024.

Stories of Celestial Bodies: Transmitting, Translocating, and Transcreating Astral Knowledge across Asia

  • Ole Birk Laursen
  • Max Planck Research Group (ASTRA)

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No 87
Image 1: “Pure BASF Indigo Powder” label for the Chinese market, circa 1903; Image 2: Container for “Japanese Refined Camphor,” possibly 1910–1940; Image 3: A fertilizer advertisement by the largest agrochemical company in Palestine

From Natural to Synthetic? Rethinking Narratives of Chemical “Replacement” in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

  • Lejie Zeng
  • Omri Polatsek
  • Jonathan Haid
  • IMPRS

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An Institute of
the Max Planck Society for the
Advancement of Science