The Polymath in an Age of Specialization: An endangered species? In a cultural history of polymaths from the Renaissance to the present (from Leonardo da Vinci to Umberto Eco), Peter Burke examines the figure of the polymath and its survival in an age of specialization. At first glance, it may seem counterintuitive to assume that the polymath has managed to overcome the disciplinary borders which have been drawn since the mid-nineteenth century and which structurally manifest themselves in the division of universities into faculties, departments and institutes. Yet, as Peter Burke will show, the species of the polymath has continued to exist; and it still does today – despite an undeniable decline.

The talk is followed by a discussion with members of Die Junge Akademie, amongst them Fabian Krämer and Christoph Lundgreen, who critically examine the role of disciplinary borders in their work within their research group “Two Cultures of Sciences“.

Peter Burke is Professor Emeritus for Cultural History at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Emmanuel College. He is considered one of the most renowned cultural historians worldwide. He has published extensively, most notably on the Italian and European Renaissance as well as on The Fabrication of Louis XIV. More recently, he has focused his research interests on media history and the sociology of knowledge. Fabian Krämer is a historian of science and humanities at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. He joined Die Junge Akademie in 2015 and initiated the research group “Two Cultures of Sciences“. Christoph Lundgreen is assistant professor at the Institute of History at Technische Universität Dresden. He is currently speaker of Die Junge Akademie and has been a member since 2016. The event is open to the public, free of charge. The audience is presumed to consent to a possible recording on the part of the ICI Berlin. If you would like to attend the event yet might require assistance, please contact Event Management.

Organized by Die Junge Akademie in collaboration with ICI Berlin and Wagenbach Verlag.