A postdoc position is available as part of the research project, “Fama in Medieval Denmark (c. 1240-1340): Rumors, Reputation and Public Opinion (FMD)

The Department of Culture and Language is offering one fully funded 24 months postdoc position starting on September 1, 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter. The postdoc will be based at SDU, Odense. Deadline for application: January 30, 2025 23.59 CET
The Department of Culture and Language is offering one fully funded 24 months postdoc position starting on September 1, 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter. The postdoc will be based at SDU, Odense.

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate to undertake postdoctoral research as part of a three-year research project “Fama in Medieval Denmark (c. 1240-1340 (FMD)” led by Associate Professor Thomas K. Heebøll-Holm (University of Southern Denmark) funded by the Carlsberg Foundation.

Short presentation of the research project:
FMD aims to investigate the impact of fama, rumors, and public opinion on politics and society in medieval Denmark, c. 1240-1340. In this time-period, the kingdom experienced political upheaval resulting in power struggles, rebellion and conspiracies. Specifically, parts of the Danish church sought to establish itself as a “state-within-the-state”. Simultaneously the kings aggressively expanded royal prerogatives and power. In the historiography this struggle is known as Kirkekampen (the Church Struggle). FMD hypothesise that fama played a crucial role in the power struggles of the Danish elite as parties sought to construct and weaponize rumors to influence public opinion to make and unmake people’s fama. But fama was not confined to elite power struggles. In the 13th century it penetrated all aspects of society as fama underwent a process of legal institutionalisation. Fama became law.

Through three subprojects the FMD seeks to investigate the role played by rumors, their impact on a person’s fama and how they informed and constructed public opinion. The applicant will be part of a research team where the PI, Thomas Heebøll-Holm, investigates how kings sought to exploit and control the talk about their person. This subproject focuses on treason, conspiracies and the kings’ political use of fama and rumors. The second subproject conducted by a PhD. Fellow examines ecclesiastical and especially episcopal use of fama in asserting influence over Danish society and public opinion. The postdoc will contribute to the FMD with a subproject that deals with Danish law and fama in the long thirteenth century (see below).

Job Description:
This postdoctoral shall in a subproject to the FMD main project examine the role of fama in Danish medieval law - whether provincial, royal or municipal -and legal practice during the long thirteenth century. While the procedure system has been the basic for several studies, the influence of fama and public reputation across the Danish laws has never been studied.

The postdoc should investigate a combination of the following in regard to the legal system and culture of thirteenth century Denmark, for instance, the interplay between fama and procedural law in medieval Denmark, the impact of fama on judicial practices, particularly regarding juries, witnesses, and evidence and/ or how these legal mechanisms both shaped and were shaped by public opinion—a concept that, though initially nebulous, underwent crucial development during this period

Although the written laws date from approximately the 1170s, the researcher need not strictly adhere to the project's core timeframe of 1240-1340. However, the primary focus must remain on medieval Denmark. While comparative studies (such as Danish-Icelandic parallels) may be included, they are only of secondary interest to the FMD.

All research outputs will be published in English.

Requirements:

• All candidates must have a PhD in medieval studies e.g. history, legal history, languages.
• The PhD must have been obtained within the last five years by the time of commencement (September 2025). The requirement is that a maximum of 5 years has elapsed from the date of acquiring the PhD degree to the application deadline. The 5 years can be extended by the duration of any parental, sick leave, or caregiving leave, military service, humanitarian aid work, etc. undertaken during this period. In connection with parental leave, the PhD age can be extended by the number of months of leave actually taken multiplied by 2.
• The candidate must have proficiency in reading Danish and in English, and at least basic knowledge of Latin. Proficiency in reading Old Danish would be beneficial but it is not a requirement.
• The project entails transmission of research to the public through podcasts and possible video. The applicant is required to participate in these activities.
• Once appointed, the postdoc is expected to contribute to collaborative work in the project, which may include co-authoring and co-organizing conferences or seminars.
• Unless otherwise agreed upon, this project cannot be carried out by remote. The postdoc is required to be present at SDU for a significant part of the employment.

For information about the project and ideas for projects, please contact Thomas K. Heebøll-Holm at [email protected]. For further information, Vice Head of Department Anne Klara Bom at [email protected] .

If you are not a Danish-speaking applicant, please ensure that you use the English website to access the electronic application form to receive further information in English.

Application, salary and conditions of employment
The employment as postdoc is temporary. Employment stops automatically by the end of the period. An upgrade of pedagogical qualifications is not part of the position. Thus, employment as postdoc cannot stand alone as a qualification for later employment as associate professor/senior researcher.

The successful applicant will be employed in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations), Cirkulære om overenskomst for Akademikere i staten 2021 (the document only exists in Danish).

The Faculty expects applicants to read the information "How to apply" before applying.

The application must include:

• A research proposal outlining your approach to the project (max 2000 words).
• A letter stating your specific interest, motivation, and qualifications for the project (400 words).
• Curriculum Vitae with applicant's e-mail and phone number
• Documentation of qualifications (examination certificates/PhD diploma, etc.)
• Complete list of publications indicating the publications attached
• Applications must include contact information for two academic referees, including their institutional affiliations, email addresses, and phone numbers.
• Applicants may choose a maximum of three publications in the following languages for assessment: Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English, French, German.

Application and all appendices must be in Danish, English, Norwegian, or Swedish. Please always include a copy of original diploma/certificates. We only accept files in pdf-format no more than 10 MB per file. In case you have more than one file per field you need to combine the pdf-files into a single file, as each field handles only one file. We do not accept zip-files, jpg or other image files. All pdf-files must be unlocked and allow binding and may not be password protected.

Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee and the applicant will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns him/her. The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of Department who will assemble an appointments committee. An interview may form part of the overall assessment of the applicants' qualifications.

The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material.

If the application does not meet the requirements mentioned above, the Faculty of Humanities may reject your application without further notice. Applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated.

Shortlisting and tests may be used in the assessment process. Please note that only a shortlisted applicant will receive an assessment. Here you can read more about shortlisting at SDU.

We recommend that as an international applicant you take the time to visit Working in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Deadline for application: January 30, 2025 23.59 CET
Placering: Odense, Denmark