Origin and Development of the Berliner Antike-Kolleg
The BAK draws on their skills, expertise and resources in order to refine strategically important topics on an interdisciplinary basis and then place them at the focus of innovative research projects and other joint initiatives.
There are ten active institutional partners within the Berliner Antike-Kolleg (BAK); taken together, they convey an impressive picture of the remarkable density and quality of the ancient studies research landscape in Berlin and Brandenburg.
The sheer density of ancient studies institutions, disciplines, research facilities and collections in Berlin is remarkable. The importance of the resources and skills concentrated in this region is considerable both in terms of scholarly research and for the public’s perception of the ancient world.
It was with the aim of consolidating the potentials of this research landscape – in the form of institutional, intellectual and material resources – that six leading Berlin research institutions established the Berliner Antike-Kolleg (BAK) on 10 May 2011. Their cooperation in the BAK has strengthened and advanced ancient studies through joint transdisciplinary and interinstitutional activities in four areas: “Research”, “Training and Support of Junior Researchers”, “Digital Concepts and Methods” and “Science Communication”.
On 01 January 2025, the Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin), the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité), the Universität Potsdam (UP) and the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) became partners in the BAK. The participation of these new partners means that the expertise already pooled within the BAK has been augmented by the expert knowledge they bring to the table: expertise in building archaeology and heritage conservation, sociology, art history, architectural history, history of science, the natural sciences, archaeometry, and application-oriented research on the preservation of cultural assets. In its expanded form, the partnership throws into even clearer relief the full breadth of the disciplinary and institutional diversity that characterises the Berlin–Brandenburg region’s unique ancient studies research landscape.
Thus, the BAK is now excellently positioned to engage with and contribute, now and in the future, to the shaping of current developments, new requirements and focus areas, as well as to provide impetus for innovative new lines of research.