Every two years, the "Deutsche Romanistikverband" (DRV / German Romance Studies Association) awards the Elise Richter Prize for outstanding doctoral and postdoctoral theses. This year, Dr. Hendrik Schlieper from the Institute of German and Comparative Literature at Paderborn University received the prestigious award for his habilitation thesis “Liebestrag?die. Genealogien einer franz?sischen Gattung des 17. Jahrhunderts” (Love tragedy. Genealogies of a French Genre of the 17th Century) (Brill/Fink, 2024). The prize not only recognises the best qualifying thesis in the field of Romance studies, but also the original and in-depth research work of young academics. It is endowed with 3,000 euros, which are provided as support for further academic work.
As Dr. Schlieper shows in his habilitation thesis, the love tragedy is probably France's most important contribution to the history of tragedy. The plot and characters of a tragedy were first defined by love in the French 17th century. "This is essentially linked to social upheavals. For the French audience, values such as respect, gallantry and tenderness, which were presented to them on the theatre stage, were decisive. The love tragedy therefore also provides us with important insights into the historical understanding of gender relations, partnership, marriage, and family. I am delighted and honoured to have received the Elise Richter Prize for my work," says Dr. Schlieper.
About the Elise Richter Prize
The Elise Richter Prize has been awarded by the DRV since 1999 to promote academic achievement in Romance studies. It bears the name of the Viennese Romance scholar Elise Richter (1865-1943). She was the first woman to habilitate at the University of Vienna in 1905. The prize is awarded for both outstanding doctorates and habilitations. All members of the association are entitled to nominate candidates, but it is not possible to apply for the prize yourself. This year's award ceremony took place as part of the 39th Romance Studies Day in Constance.
This text was translated automatically.
