As a cultural studies research institute we focus on subjects of material culture addressing the manifold interactions between people and the material world in a historical perspective (12th to 17th century).
Wafts of Mist?
Photo: Martin Heider
CfP Conference - Potentials of New Approaches in Research
on Image & Text in the Premodern Era
Transmedial - Digital?
a new fashion accessory
Mouth and Nose Protection
New Date - Framing-Deframing-Reframing
Ways, mechanisms and strategies of cultural adoption
in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Times
International Conference in Krems, September 15-17, 2021
The IMAREAL library will remain closed for the time being
Library is closed
Foto: Luigi Caputo
taught by IMAREAL-staff
New Courses
in Summer 2020
The 5th issue of MEMO celebrates the 50th anniversary of the
Institue of Medieval and Early Modern Material Culture (1969-2019).
MEMO 5 is online!
Volume 1 of the Series formate -
Forschungen zur materiellen Kultur
Out now:
Object links - Dinge in Beziehung
REALonline
Get to know our staff
We get to the
bottom of things!
Our Research Approaches
In our research projects, we engage in interdisciplinary discussions about the objects. We take a perspective that allows us to look at things in different ways: The research perspective does not describe what is looked at, but the direction in which we look at research objects.
Object Links
The Object Links research approach does not analyse the objects themselves, but the links between the objects and between objects and people. read more
Material(i)ties
The Materialities research approach addresses material culture with an increased focus on materials as matter from which artefacts are made. read more
Digital Humanities
At the IMAREAL, we use the potentials of digitisation for research and teaching in cultural studies. read more
Grasping the Meaning of Things
Seizing Materiality
Practising Interdisciplinarity
Latest News
You can find an overview of all current information and all our recent posts here:
Our Research Projects
Religious Wearables
ONAMA
Administering Sanctity
REALonline
of Noble Memory
Breadcrumbs for the Poor?
From house to farmyard
Furniture on visual media
of the Middle Ages
Domesticated space
Our Partners
