The project is funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and hosted at the University of Innsbruck’s Department for Classical Philology and Neo-Latin Studies under the PI Dr. Isabella Walser-Bürgler.

The project’s main aims are:

1. to collect and prepare a digital transcription of the surviving corpus of c. 125 Latin
   dissertations produced by the Academia Taxiana, a learned Enlightenment society
   operating in Western Austria, Southern Germany and Northern Italy between 1740 and
   1760.
2. to produce a critical philological edition of selected paradigmatic dissertations.
3. to analyze the genre that was the ‘Taxiana-dissertation’, integrate it into the discourse
   of Neo-Latin academic oratory and study its impact on Enlightenment historiography in
   Europe

Responsibilities

• Critical edition of five selected dissertations with an introduction, a modern transcription, an apparatus fontium, a translation, and some notes (to be written in English)
• Collaborative work on and with the Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR) tool TRANSKRIBUS for the preparation of the digital presentation of the corpus
• Co-organization of an international conference

Skills and Qualifications

Required

• MA degree (or equivalent) in Latin philology or Neo-Latin studies (or similar)
• focus on Neo-Latin research (i.e. early modern Latin) for the duration of the appointment
• excellent Latin reading skills
• ability to work productively in a team
• excellent English, and reading knowledge of German and/or Italian

Desired

• training in palaeography and manuscript studies
• experience in digital humanities
• experience in archival research
• editorial competences

Further Details

The appointment starts on 1 November 2023. The successful candidate will be based at the Department for Classical Philology and Neo-Latin Studies in Innsbruck. He/She will have the opportunity to submit the project edition as his/her PhD-dissertation and thus earn his/her PhD. Remuneration for the pre-doctoral position follows the salary scheme of the FWF and will begin at monthly € 2.464,80 gross in 2023. The project foresees funding for archival visits and international conference attendance for its team members.

Applications

Applications should comprise a cover letter, CV, a list of publications, the contact details of a referee, and a writing sample (article or chapter). They should be submitted in PDF format to vfnoryyn.jnyfre-ohretyre@hvox.np.ng by 5 July 2023. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview (most probably virtual) in the course of July 2023.

The University of Innsbruck is an equal opportunities employer and especially welcomes applications from women and minorities.

General enquires can be sent to the PI at: vfnoryyn.jnyfre-ohretyre@hvox.np.ng.