• Krüger Oliver

• Brand Mattias
• Krüger Oliver

Fribourg & Hamburg: Religion et urbanité / Religion und Urbanität

Cities are not only sites of political, economic, and cultural concentration, but also spaces of religious expression, conflict, and negotiation. In the seminar on Religion and Urbanity, we explore how religion becomes visible in urban space, how religious actors help shape cities, and how urban contexts transform religious practices and imaginaries.

Based on two case studies—the small town of Fribourg (Switzerland), shaped by Catholicism, and the large city of Hamburg, influenced by the Hanseatic tradition and Lutheranism—we analyze concrete forms of religious presence and interaction in urban space: from sacred architecture and processions to interreligious encounters and political debates about religion in the public sphere.

A central element of the seminar consists of short excursions in Fribourg as well as a multi-day excursion to Hamburg, during which we will visit selected sites in both locations and engage in discussions on site with experts and religious actors.

The seminar introduces key theoretical perspectives on religion and urbanity (e.g., Lefebvre, Knott, Löw) and at the same time provides methodological training in urban ethnographic research.

The excursion to Hamburg will take place from 07 May 2026 to 11 May 2026. Participation in the excursion is mandatory. The trip is partially subsidized by the university; part of the costs must be covered by the participants themselves (CHF 150 per person). The price includes round-trip travel by train to Hamburg, four nights of hotel accommodation with breakfast, as well as entrance fees and local public transportation in Hamburg. In addition to empirical exercises, the program in Hamburg includes visits to the workers’ and refugee support organization Brot & Rosen, a guided city tour, the Hamburg Kunsthalle, the Ohlsdorf Reform Cemetery, the Al Nour Mosque, and a Buddhist center. Evenings are free for individual activities.

The dates of the seminar sessions in Fribourg are: 17 February, 24 February, 03 March, 31 March, 21 April, 28 April, 19 May, and 26 May.

For organizational reasons, the number of participating students is limited to 14.

The seminar is bilingual (German/French): all students may complete their exercises and presentations in the language of their choice.

 Knowledge of theories of religion in modernity as well as an introduction to (urban) ethnographic methods.

• Knott, Kim (2005): The Location of Religion. A Spatial Analysis. London/New York: Routledge.

• Löw, Martina (2001): Raumsoziologie. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.

• Lefebvre, Henri (1991): The Production of Space. Oxford: Blackwell.

• Berking, Helmuth / Löw, Martina (Hg.) (2008): Die Eigenlogik der Städte. Neue Wege für die Stadtforschung. Frankfurt a. M.: Campus.