Issue 16 / February 2021
Editorial
by Katharina Wiedemann
At the beginning of this academic year we were very pleased that – despite the pandemic, which had preoccupied the world for half a year – almost all the Fellows slated for 2020/2021 had indeed come to Berlin. We proceeded in all caution – keeping our distance, wearing masks, continuous ventilation, air purifiers, limits to the number of people per room – while being cautiously optimistic that after a tightening of safety measures, at latest in the spring, the much-vaunted and frequently promised relaxations would also revive the Kolleg’s social and scholarly life. This confidence was still shared by Fellows and staff alike even when gigantic two-person luncheon tables were no longer allowed. The institute that was supposed to be a place of “unanticipated encounters” (see
Zeitschrift für Ideengeschichte, no. XXXX) necessarily became a place to avoid encounters. Around lunchtime one could see individual Fellows, with their “take-out food” from our restaurant, heading back to their offices where they would fortify themselves for the next videoconference or simply the solitary continuation of their work.
Two of the features in this issue would seem to indirectly refer to these missing lunch conversations – here a sudden and unexpected energy breaks through that is like a leap into the bracing water of an unplanned, free-flowing, mealtime conversation. In addition we present two portraits of scholars and their work at the Kolleg as well as one interview with our resident stargazer. As always these pieces afford only a very small glimpse into the range of themes being studied this year, and if you would like to have a few more encounters with the Fellows then you are cordially invited to visit our website.
The hope is that, in spite of everything, the 2020/2021 Fellows will ultimately benefit from their stay at the Wissenschaftskolleg. After all, nobody has left so far, and with the help of our computer screens we have become a close-knit community that knows quite a lot about each other – and not only with regard to scholarly work.
In this issue’s photos you can see the longing for faces, the desire for closeness. Let’s hope that the close-ups will soon be replaced with real-life experiences again.
Until then, please let me offer the warmest greetings from the Kolleg!