Axel Michaels

Axel Michaels (born 26 May 1949 in Hamburg, Germany) is a Professor of Classical Indology and Religious Studies at Heidelberg University and Co-Director of the Cluster of Excellence "Asia and Europe in a Global Context".[1] He is also the Speaker of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 619 “Ritual Dynamics”.[2]

Axel Michaels

Professional career

Axel Michaels studied Indology, Philosophy and Law in Munich, Freiburg, Hamburg and Benares. After he completed his dissertation in 1978 summa cum laude, Michaels worked as a research assistant at the Museum of Ethnology in Hamburg and at the University of Muenster. He then worked as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Indology at the University of Kiel. From 1981 to 83, he was Director of the Nepal Research Centre (Kathmandu), from 1983 to 1992 Assistant Professor at the University of Kiel, and from 1992 to 1996 Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Bern. In 1986, he was Spalding Visiting Fellow at the Wolfson College, Oxford. Since 1996, Michaels is Professor of Classical Indology at Heidelberg University’s South Asia Institute, which he managed as Director from 1999 to 2002.[3] Besides, he was Speaker of the interdisciplinary project “Cartography Programme on Benares”. In 2001, he was elected as the Speaker of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 619 “Ritual Dynamics”. During the years 2004 to 2011, he was Speaker of the German Research Foundation Council “Cultural Anthropology, Religious Studies, Non-European Cultures”. Axel Michaels is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Cluster of Excellence “Asia and Europe in a Global Context” since 2007.[4] Furthermore, he became Head Coordinator of the Heidelberg Center South Asia[5] and Member of AG Zukunft II at Heidelberg University in 2010.[6] Starting 2012, he is Heidelberg University Rector’s delegate for cooperation with India.[7] Axel Michaels is full member of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.[8]

Research

From 1983 to 1984, Michaels was involved in a project about the initiation rites in Nepal in collaboration with the German Research Foundation. A further project in Nepal between 1984 and 1991 focused on rituals at the Pashupatinatha-Temple. From 1998 to 2002, Axel Michaels was engaged in the project “Text and Context of the Mahima-Dharma-Movement in Orissa”. This project was followed by a research on religious and divine maps of Benares (1999-2003). Both projects were supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG).[9] His current research, a co-operation with Niels Gutschow, started in 2002 and examines life cycle rituals in Nepal.[10] Connected to the project was the shooting and production of the films Handling Death (2005) and Belfruit and loincloth (2007), realized in collaboration with Niels Gutschow and Christian Bau. Axel Michaels’ fields of research include Ethno-Indology, Ritual studies, Social and Legal History of Hinduism, Cultural History and Religion of Nepal.[11]

Publications

Selected Publications[12]

Edited Books

References

  1. ↑ "Axel Michaels", Cluster of Excellence "Asia and Europe in a Global Context". Retrieved: January 15, 2013
  2. ↑ "Prof. Dr. Axel Michaels", Collaborative Research Center SFB 619 "Ritualdynamik". Retrieved: January 15, 2013
  3. ↑ "CV - Prof. Dr. Axel Michaels", South Asia Institute Heidelberg. Retrieved: January 15, 2013
  4. ↑ "New Directorate for Cluster of Excellence Asia and Europe", Heidelberg University. Retrieved: January 15, 2013
  5. ↑ "HSCA Staff", Heidelberg Center South Asia. Retrieved: January 15, 2013
  6. ↑ "AG Zukunft II", Heidelberg University. Retrieved: January 15, 2013
  7. ↑ "Opening of the German House for Research and Innovation in New Delhi", Heidelberg University. Retrieved: January 15, 2013
  8. ↑ "Die Mitglieder der HAW seit ihrer Gründung 1909", Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Retrieved: January 15, 2013
  9. ↑ "CV - Prof. Dr. Axel Michaels", South Asia Institute Heidelberg. Retrieved: January 15, 2013
  10. ↑ "Subproject A2", Collaborative Research Center SFB 619 Ritualdynamik. Retrieved: January 15, 2013
  11. ↑ "Prof. Dr. Axel Michaels, Arbeitsschwerpunkte", South Asia Institute Heidelberg. Retrieved: January 15, 2013
  12. ↑ "Publikationen Axel Michaels", South Asia Institute Heidelberg. Retrieved: January 15, 2013

External links

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