The POLY Research Group will organise a series of public lectures during the winter term of 2025/26 at Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften Bad Homburg. Outstanding researchers from disciplines other than history will share their insights to enrich our historical perspectives. The second lecture will be delivered by Professor Paula Irene Villa-Braslavsky (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität).

About the Talk

The formulation “the production of space”, as introduced by Henri Lefebvre, contains several presumptions. First, concepts of space as well as concrete spaces are social products, resulting from social processes. As such, they reflect societal relations in one way or another. Second, they form part of the societal terrain on which individuals and groups act. Finally, and probably most importantly: They can be used strategically in multiple ways. When conceptualized in this manner, social science and humanities research can benefit significantly from a serious engagement with social space.

About the Speaker

Bernd Belina is Professor of Human Geography at Goethe University Frankfurt. His research focuses on historical-geographical materialism, urban geography, the geography of rural areas, as well as political geography and critical criminology. He is co-editor of the Geographische Zeitschrift and other academic journals and book series, and serves as editor and author of various collected volumes, monographs, and numerous articles. Most recently, his research has focused in particular on the urban–rural relationship, with an emphasis on differences in the electoral success of right-wing parties and on addressing the threats to democracy posed by right-wing movements in Hesse.

The keynote will be streamed live via Zoom for remote participants: https://uni-frankfurt.zoom-x.de/j/68351592688?pwd=MpUMr1wjJdfgbMF33FaTrzR8a3UHcj.1