Name:
Annett Krause

Current Position/Academic Assignment:
RA for the Foreign Language Center at Ohio State University; supervising individualized Language Learning Center.

Hometown:
Lauchhammer, Germany

Educational Background:
2003 MA in Ancient History from Dresden University of Technology
2004 MA in German Literature from Ohio State University
2007 Ph.D Candidate Department of Germanic Languages and Literature, Ohio State University

How did you learn about HMML?
My advisor, Professor Anna Grotans, recommended it as a great place to conduct research for my dissertation.

Current research at HMML:
Depiction of the figure of the mythical Indian priest-king Prester John in medieval German travel accounts to understand the specific German fascination with this legend over the course of the Middle Ages.

Why did you choose to study this—what got you interested in this topic?
I had several courses about similar topics at Dresden University of Technology and Ohio State University, and it just fascinated me that this particular figure is still a subject for authors and researchers after nine centuries. I wanted to figure out that mystery.

What has been the most surprising thing you've uncovered in your current research?
At what an early time travelers wrote in the vernacular about their travels and how observant they were, and how intrigued by fiction and stories – just as today’s media madness.

What can we learn from that?
People in different times might be more like us than we thought, and the thirst for knowledge is probably the strongest force for human development.

Why did you decide to come to HMML for this particular research?
HMML has an astonishing holding of German-speaking manuscripts on microfilm of which a huge portion are travel accounts. And in hindsight, I was able to identify a few more relevant accounts.

What did you wish you knew about HMML before you came?
How large the microfilm collection really is; it would have made it easier to manage my time better.

What would you tell someone about your experience at HMML?
It’s a great research opportunity at a facility where your research and you receive undivided attention. I experienced one of the most scholarly fostering environments one can wish for.

Do you have a favorite book or teacher from your youth that influenced your career/academic path?
I will probably always enjoy the books by Karl May who was fascinated by other nations and countries and traveled to them in his imagination. His books got me interested in the Other and its relationship to the Own, and awakened my own vivid imagination which helps in understanding other people’s and time’s longings.

What do you read for leisure?
I love time-travel novels and stories about mythical creatures like vampires, werewolves etc. I enjoy reading out things that are out of the ordinary just to experience the awe that it still applies to the now.

If you could travel back in time, what event would you like to experience in person? Why?
I think I would like to see the seven world wonders being built, because – although they almost all have vanished – they are the best examples of the human strife to create something spectacular and for the unlimited human creativity. Also, I really want to know the reasons behind their creation and destruction as well as finally know their real structure.