Niklas Platzer, Visiting Fellowship 2024/25

Biography

Niklas Platzer is a PhD Researcher at the European University Institute in Florence. Before joining the EUI, Niklas was a Pre-Doctoral Researcher at the Graduate School for East and Southeast European Studies at the University of Regensburg and a Researcher at the Collegium Carolinum in Munich. His dissertation “From Crop to Crystal. Sugar Beets and the Transformation of the Habsburg Empire (1848/49 – 1914)” examines the transformative effects of sugar beet cultivation on the imperial state in the late Habsburg Empire. He focuses on the relationship between agriculture and industrialization, particularly industrialization through agriculture, and the importance of local and regional spaces away from urban centers. On the other hand, Niklas aims to clarify the effects of interventions on the environment and the ecosystem of the cultivation areas in Central Europe. Accordingly, his research interests generally focus on the history of the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly on social, environmental, and military history. Niklas holds a BA in History and an MA in Eastern European Studies from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, as well as an MRes in History and Civilization from the EUI, Florence.

Visiting Fellowship December 2024

Motivation

During my one-month fellowship, I plan to evaluate my sources further and work on a chapter of my thesis. I plan to discuss with the experts on-site, especially regarding Central European (research) perspectives on environmental history. I am also interested in the Digital Humanities research program and would like to find out if some of the tools suit my research. I look forward to developing a base for future cooperation and knowledge exchange.