The Gesellschaft für Volkskunde in Rheinland-Pfalz was founded in 1986 with the aim of promoting ethnological work in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was based at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. The Society saw its most important task as initiating or supporting scientific projects in a non-profit manner, facilitating research contacts within and beyond the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, publishing relevant publications, and fostering young academics.

Since its inception, many graduates of the subject area Volkskunde (Folklore), later Cultural Anthropology, at Mainz University have joined the Society. They maintained their connections and friendships from their student days at the annual general meetings and regularly offered field trips and were also willing to pave the professional path into the subject for succeeding generations. In addition, the circle of members was constantly enriched by other interested individuals who primarily sought personal discussions on subject-specific questions and valued the opportunities for scientific further education.

The Gesellschaft für Volkskunde in Rheinland-Pfalz published – most recently once a year – its journal “Volkskunde in Rheinland-Pfalz”, which reported on ongoing ethnological work in the state and presented the latest research findings in the subject Cultural Anthropology. The last two volumes can be found here:

Vol. 39: https://openscience.ub.uni-mainz.de/items/ea93813f-d465-44af-85be-12037861977f

Vol. 38: https://openscience.ub.uni-mainz.de/items/1f70a539-fab2-4498-8f64-dd4e192e1512

For information on all previous issues, see: https://opac.ub.uni-mainz.de/DB=1/SET=2/TTL=3/REL?PPN=041379276

The Gesellschaft dissolved at the end of 2024.

For questions about the Gesellschaft, please contact Dr. Christina Niem (cniem@uni-mainz.de).

Volumes 1 to 6

Volumes 7 to 12

Volumes 13 to 18

Volumes 19 to 24

Volumes 25 to 26