From Handwritten Letters to Social Media
The first summer school for the degree programmes European Cultures of Communication will take place from the 31st of August to the 4th of September 2026 at the University of Augsburg. Doctoral candidates and master’s students can learn about and explore the development of writing and communicative practices from the early modern period to the present. Applications are open until the 29th of May 2026. ? Whether in a handwritten letter, email, or social media post, whoever communicates becomes visible, positioning themselves in a discourse and society, exerting influence. While the media has changed throughout the centuries, its needs and objectives have often remained the same: cultivating image, redefining identity, developing networks, cultivating symbolic capital, and relaying information. These communicative practices, as well as others, will be explored from the 31st of August to the 4th of September 2026 at the first Summer School of European Cultures of Communication at the Chair of Romance Literary Studies (French/Italian) at the University of Augsburg. Through a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, humanities scholars will trace the road from the letter writing culture of the Ancien Régime to contemporary forms of digital communication. Together with international researchers from romance studies, doctoral candidates and master’s students can reflect on the development of communicative practices over the centuries as well as map out the similarities and differences in the narrative strategies of “self-fashioning” and cultural mediation. The programme combines seminars, round tables, research labs, and workshops. Participants will be introduced to various tools and research methods used in different disciplines: from palaeontology – that is, deciphering, reading, and interpreting handwritten texts – to literary history, communication studies, and media sociology to editing and the digital humanities. International scholars will hold seminars and workshops. The following scholars are confirmed: The University of Augsburg is cooperating with the University of Verona in organising the summer school. The summer school is being funded by the Deutsche Romanistik Verband (DRV). Interested doctoral candidates and master’s students can apply until the 29th of May 2026. The following documents are to be submitted: Send your documents via email to ekk.summerschool@philhist.uni-augsburg.de. 20 doctoral candidates and master’s students are eligible for a scholarship that covers the cost of accommodation. Applicants who receive no financial support can also participate so long as they are able to organise their own accommodation.? ? Apply now: Send your documents to:?ekk.summerschool@philhist.uni-augsburg.de. ? More information about the summer school: ?
Interdisciplinary exchange in Romance Studies
Applications for the summer school are welcome
Romance Studies Summer School 2026: Information and applications
Scientific contact