Award for Excellence in Teaching for the Institute for Franconian Regional History

The award honours outstanding and innovative teaching concepts at state universities, universities of applied sciences, technical universities and universities of the arts in Bavaria. A total of 20 prizes are awarded each year – twelve to universities, six to universities of applied sciences and two to universities of the arts. New this year is a commendation award for exemplary teaching by part-time lecturers. The prize winners are nominated by their home institutions, with students playing a decisive role in the selection process.

In terms of content, the Institute brings together several key profile areas: Public History, Historical Peace and Conflict Studies, European Cultures of History and Regional History. This thematic breadth is also reflected in the teaching formats, which were particularly highlighted by students in their nomination. Praise was given to the strong spirit of cooperation within the Institute, as well as to the diversity of formats that combine traditional seminars with practice-oriented elements. These include the opportunity to design and realise one’s own exhibitions – a central element of Public History that connects academic research with the public sphere and practical application.

Field trips were also singled out, for example the journey to Ireland and Northern Ireland in 2025 focusing on questions of “Identity and Conflict” – a joint project by two members of staff at the IFLG, in which PD Dr Julia Eichenberg represented Historical Peace and Conflict Studies and Martin Ott contributed perspectives from regional history. Programme elements such as visits to Belfast and Derry as hotspots of the Northern Ireland conflict enabled students to analyse traces of historical conflict on site and to engage critically with the interactions between history, memory and the present. Students from the Otto Friedrich University of Bamberg also took part, as the IFLG links the two Upper Franconian universities. This excursion originally motivated the students to submit the nomination.

Teaching also regularly takes place at an extraordinary learning site: Thurnau Castle. The historic setting is far more than a backdrop – it is actively integrated into teaching and supports the close connection between research, knowledge transfer and public engagement with history.

At the award ceremony, Minister of Science Markus Blume explicitly emphasised the importance of teaching: “With our teaching awards, we send a clear message: teaching stands on an equal footing with research. It is not an add-on, but the foundation of our academic system. Those who share knowledge multiply it – and that is exactly what we are recognising today.” He also expressed particular pleasure that “this year, for the first time, we are able to award a dedicated prize for part-time lecturers”, as they are a vital pillar of the academic system and bring valuable practical experience into teaching.

At the ceremony, Professor Dr Martin Ott emphasised the strong sense of teamwork at the Institute. He sees the award as recognition of the collective efforts of the team at the Institute for Franconian Regional History – from the conception of teaching to the committed support of students.

The award confirms the distinctive approach of the IFLG: teaching is understood here as a collaborative, research-oriented and at the same time practice-based process. The strong resonance this approach has among students demonstrates how vibrant and innovative the teaching of history is at the University of Bayreuth.