Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the History of East Central European Parish Politics: Diocese of Vienna Eötvös Loránd University Research Centre for the Humanities in Hungary

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the History of East Central European Parish Politics: Diocese of Vienna

The Institute of History of the Research Centre for the Humanities at Eötvös Loránd University invites applications for a postdoctoral research position in the ERC project Parish Politics in Early Modern East Central Europe, 1650–1800: The Role of Popular Politics in Late Catholic Confessionalization and Early Modern State Building, led by Dr. Béla Vilmos Mihalik.

The project examines how local communities shaped parish life and broader political-religious developments in the Habsburg Monarchy and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Using the Roman Catholic parish as a comparative framework, it studies communal supervision, parish property, parish priests’ pastoral work, local religious life, and the interaction of parish communities with manorial, governmental, and ecclesiastical authorities. The research also extends to groups that have often been underrepresented in scholarship, including Roma communities, Muslim and Jewish minorities, and non-noble women.

This specific postdoctoral appointment focuses on the Diocese of Vienna and the Viennese Officialate of the Diocese of Passau. These jurisdictions covered much of Lower Austria until the Josephine reforms of the 1780s and offer a rich setting for studying parish politics, lay participation, confraternities, and local welfare in one of the most urbanized regions of the Habsburg Monarchy. The successful candidate will investigate the role of parish communities and local confraternities in shaping late Catholic confessionalization and poor relief, with attention to the relations between parish institutions, lay associations, local communities, and ecclesiastical and secular authorities.

The position is based at the Research Centre for the Humanities, Budapest, within Eötvös Loránd University. It is a full-time temporary postdoctoral contract for up to 54 months, with an expected gross monthly salary of approximately 2500 EUR and a generous annual research and travel allowance. The planned starting date is 1 October 2026, or as mutually agreed.

Applicants should hold a PhD in History or a related discipline and demonstrate strong historical research capacity. The post is especially suited to scholars with an interest in the history of the Catholic Church, East Central European social history, archival research, and comparative or transregional approaches. Excellent German and English are required; knowledge of Latin is an advantage. Peer-reviewed publications or submitted/accepted manuscripts are expected.

To apply, candidates must submit a single PDF containing a CV and publication list, three short letters of reference, a preliminary research proposal (including prior research experience, research idea, source base, and motivation for team-based work), relevant certificates, and one recent English-language writing sample. Send the application by email to Béla Vilmos Mihalik and Lídia Kustár. Applications are processed from 31 August 2026, with interviews planned from 7 September 2026 onward.