School of Historical Studies

Sabine Schmidtke, Professor in the School of Historical Studies, and SherAli K. Tareen, Patricia Crone Member (2024–25) in the School, discuss Schmidtke's latest book, which narrates the powerful and tragic story of Hedwig Klein, an exceptionally talented German Jewish scholar of Islam who was killed during the Holocaust at the age of thirty-one. 

Barbara Paca, Visitor in the School of Historical Studies (1996–97), reflects on the early Members who shaped the Institute Woods’ paths and found sanctuary there. She also discusses her work with AMIAS, the Association of Members of the Institute for Advanced Study, which works to sustain the Institute's mission of supporting discovery. 

Nataly Shahaf, Member in the School of Historical Studies (2024–26), explains the historical practice of ghost photography and reflects on the Institute for Advanced Study’s Halloween celebration inspired by Albert Einstein’s performances for trick-or-treating children.

Marisa J. Fuentes, Friends of the Institute for Advanced Study Member in the School of Historical Studies (2024–25), describes how conversations at IAS with scholars from varied disciplinary backgrounds have shown her that the heart of research lies in shared deep thinking and collaborative discussion.

In a book titled Medieval Art as Theology, Éric Palazzo, Elinor Lunder Founders’ Circle Member (2018–19) in the School of Historical Studies, invites readers to encounter medieval art not as a set of styles to be decoded from afar, but as a way of thinking and believing from within.

In a recent exhibition, Sofía Torallas Tovar, Distinguished Visiting Professor in the School of Historical Studies, and co-curator Raquel Martín Hernández explored an extraordinary papyrus codex whose pages are now dispersed across the globe. It offers a rare window into the production and circulation of biblical texts in Roman Egypt. 

Zeynep Çelik Alexander, Hans Kohn Member in the School of Historical Studies, studies the history and theory of architecture since the Enlightenment. Her current work examines institutions in Victorian London in which information collected from around the British empire was aggregated and organized to serve imperialist ends in the second half of the nineteenth century. 

Anna Stirr, Elizabeth and J. Richardson Dilworth Member in the School of Historical Studies (2024–25), explores the rich world of Nepali musicology. She also reflects on Institute for Advanced Study’s own unique soundscape, from the distinctive birdsong to the lively atmosphere that fosters deep scholarly exchange.

Gilles Bransbourg, Infosys Member in the School of Historical Studies (2024–25), describes the nexus of community and thought that Rubenstein Commons provides to scholars at the Institute for Advanced Study, recounting how small talk at the bar led to a significant insight in his research into economic and monetary history.

Maria Fusaro, Zurich Insurance Company Member in the School of Historical Studies (2024–25), recalls taming a squirrel she affectionately named “Bully” during her time at the Institute for Advanced Study.