Digital History Lab 2026
Spring School, Tbilisi, March 30–April 4th, 2026
Spring School, Georgia Branch Office: Tools, Archives, and Local Voices in the South Caucasus and beyond
Submission Deadline: January 15th, 2026
Georgia Branch Office of the Max Weber Foundation Spring School will highlight ways of engaging with digital sources and methods, with a specific focus on the needs of early-career historians in the South Caucasus. It is designed not only for scholars who identify as digital historians but also for professionals working in galleries libraries, archives and museums (GLAM) interested in how new digital possibilities can inform their work. We aim to help young researchers address their own challenges and projects, exploring questions such as: How can digital tools be used effectively? What tools and databases does the Max Weber Foundation offer and how can they be used? How can Artificial Intelligence be leveraged in historical research? How can digital tools be used to cross the (post)colonial and (post)Soviet digital divides?
Teachers and Partners
- Dr. Dinara Gagarina: Researcher at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and at Herder Institute Marburg. She is an expert on Digital History, working on the DH landscape in Central Asia, developing projects with partners on the history of forced migrations and cultural heritage preservation.
- Teona Iashvili: Director of the National Archives of Georgia. She will present various activities and opportunities of the archive in the field of digitization of collections and digital history.
- Lali Kakhidze and Prof. Dr. Oliver Reisner: Have developed databases in collaboration with the Georgian National Archives focusing on the history of Germans in the South Caucasus, and are involved in DH-initiatives at Ilia State University. This work offers an example of best practice, but also highlights the problems involved in such initiatives.
- Dr. Mareike König: A leading voice in the digital-history-debate in Germany. She has helped develop infrastructures such as the German-language Hypotheses blogging platform and has published reflective pieces on the implications of digital transformation and its challenges. She will share insights into the most recent developments, including Open Science practices and the role of Artificial Intelligence.
- Dr. Nanette Rißler-Pipka: The Max Weber Foundation’s expert in digital research infrastructure, data stewardship and implementing concrete digital projects. She will present recent projects, including their technical infrastructure, offer examples of best practice, and detail concrete technical steps.
Who should apply?
Young historians – M.A. candidates, PhD-students and Postdocs – working in or on the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe, who would like to learn about recent trends and methodologies in Digital History.
Scholars, who have already worked with digital sources and would like to discuss their current projects with professionals and experts.
GLAM professionals who are interested in collaboration with researchers on digital projects.
How to apply?
Please, send a short application of around 500 words to the Max Weber Office in Tbilisi. The application should include:
- A short CV
- An abstract of the project that you are currently working on
- A short statement on what motivates you to participate and what would you be particularly interested to learn.
Submission Deadline: January 15th, 2026
You can find the full CfA here
Please send your proposals to info@mws-georgia.org.
OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Nino Tsertsvadze (November 17, 2025). Digital History Lab 2026. Max Weber Stiftung - Büro Georgien. Retrieved March 4, 2026 from https://mwsgeorgien.hypotheses.org/9787

