Andreas Tietze Memorial Fellowship in Turkish Studies

Andreas Tietze (1914 - 2003) was a world-renowned Austrian Turcologist born and educated in Vienna. He started his career at Istanbul University, where he had taken refuge from the Hitler regime from 1938 to 1958, and at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he was emeritus professor of Turkish at the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from 1958 to 1971. After decades in Turkey and the United States, he finally returned to the University of Vienna in 1973 as a professor of Theology. He served as a faculty member at the Department of Near Eastern Studies until his retirement in 1984. Tietze was one of the most outstanding scholars who passed through the halls of the Department. He published an astonishing number of books and articles on topics ranging from lexicology and etymology to history and folk dancing. In addition, he received numerous awards for his substantial contribution to Turkish studies.

The Department of Near Eastern Studies of the University of Vienna has established the Andreas Tietze Memorial Fellowship in Turkish Studies to commemorate the life and work of this iconic twentieth-century Turcologist. The fellowship offers a unique opportunity for promising scholars to contribute to the legacy of Andreas Tietze and ensure that his name will always be associated with outstanding research conducted at the Department of Near Eastern Studies of the University of Vienna.

In the 2025 cohort, the Andreas Tietze Seed Money Grant will be awarded to advanced doctoral candidates and postdoctoral/early-stage researchers in Turkish studies for the preparation of third-party fund applications (e.g., DOC-Fellowship/ÖAW, European Research Council, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, or Austrian Science Fund) for his/her projects. The Seed Money Grant aims to support applicants in the application process and integrate them into the Turkish Studies academic community. Projects that expand the current research focus of the Department (i.e., environmental history, history of technology, digital humanities, consumption history, history of tourism, and cultural heritage) are welcome, but not required.

The fellow will have a workplace with access to the Internet and the library for the duration of his/her research project. Furthermore, he/she will receive a scholarship of 3,000 / 5,000 euros (doctoral candidates / postdoctoral researchers) to cover the living costs in Vienna. Unfortunately, the Department of Near Eastern Studies is not able to reimburse travel costs to and from Vienna from the fellow’s country of origin.

The duration of the seed money grant is 3 months. The Fellow is desired to be available to start the fellowship on 1 March 2025; 1 May 2025; 1 September 2025; or 1 November 2025. During the fellowship, the Fellow is expected to live in Vienna, participate in the Department’s activities and present his/her research proposal (e.g. in the form of a public lecture, discussion, participation in a seminar or similar). The Fellow will be part of an international and vibrant academic environment at the University of Vienna and benefit from the resources available in Vienna (including the Austrian National Library and the Habsburg Archives) while preparing his/ her research proposal.