Starting on 26 November 2024, the University Library will be showcasing books by and about Halbwachs from its collection to introduce a broader audience to the intellectual pioneer and political activist Maurice Halbwachs, as well as his academic work and its reception. One of the most influential sociologists of the 20th century, Halbwachs is best known for his work on collective memory. He thoroughly examined the social mechanisms that create collective memories in societies and sustain them through rituals and other shared cultural practices.

While Maurice Halbwachs gained recognition during his lifetime through groundbreaking studies such as »Les Cadres sociaux de la mémoire« (1925), his incomplete work »La Mémoire collective« was only published posthumously in 1950. The first German translations of these works appeared in 1966 and 1967 under the titles »Das Gedächtnis und seine sozialen Bedingungen« and »Das kollektive Gedächtnis«. As a student of Émile Durkheim and friend of Marcel Mauss, Halbwachs’ extensive work transcends his era, shaping fields such as media culture, cultural history, art studies, and urban studies. Even today, his widely received research serves as a central starting point for critically analysing societal memory practices and social identity.

»AUSBLICKSPUNKTE. Bücher von und über Maurice Halbwachs« (books on and about Maurice Halbwachs) Exhibition
Date: 26 November 2024 to 15 February 2025
Location: University Library, Weimar, Steubenstraße 6, 1st Floor
Opening Times: Monday to Friday: 9 am to 11 pm, Saturdays: 10 am to 6 pm (during the opening hours of the University Library)
Exhibition Curation: Elisa Goldammer, Dr. Moritz Lampe, Dr. Katrin Richter
Link to the literature collection: https://moodle.uni-weimar.de/mod/scanservice/overview.php?instance=600&facultyid=4&semester=20