{"id":13498,"date":"2025-07-22T11:30:25","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T09:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/?page_id=13498"},"modified":"2026-02-02T17:33:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T16:33:39","slug":"wesser","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/en\/wesser\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Grit Wesser"},"content":{"rendered":"<jgu-base-section react-props=\"{&quot;color&quot;:&quot;dark&quot;,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;wide&quot;,&quot;padding&quot;:&quot;medium&quot;}\">\n<div class=\"jgu-bgsection bg bg-dark\"><div class=\"content padding-medium\"><jgu-base-heading react-props=\"{\n    &quot;index&quot;: &quot;Academic Staff Member | Erasmus+ Coordinator | KAEE Archive&quot;,\n    &quot;color&quot;: &quot;default&quot;,\n    &quot;tags&quot;: {\n        &quot;htmlTag&quot;: &quot;h2&quot;,\n        &quot;classTag&quot;: &quot;&quot;,\n        &quot;tag&quot;: &quot;h2&quot;\n    },\n    &quot;heading&quot;: &quot;Dr. Grit Wesser&quot;,\n    &quot;textAlign&quot;: &quot;left&quot;,\n    &quot;anchor&quot;: &quot;&quot;\n}\"><\/jgu-base-heading>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><jgu-base-image react-props=\"{\n    &quot;image&quot;: {\n        &quot;url&quot;: &quot;https:\\\/\\\/cms.zdv.uni-mainz.de\\\/fb05-iftek-kultur\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/573\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/Wesser_2024_portrait-744x1024-1.jpg&quot;,\n        &quot;id&quot;: 11340,\n        &quot;caption&quot;: &quot;dav&quot;,\n        &quot;title&quot;: &quot;dav&quot;,\n        &quot;width&quot;: 744,\n        &quot;height&quot;: 1024,\n        &quot;srcset&quot;: &quot;https:\\\/\\\/cms.zdv.uni-mainz.de\\\/fb05-iftek-kultur\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/573\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/Wesser_2024_portrait-744x1024-1.jpg 744w, https:\\\/\\\/cms.zdv.uni-mainz.de\\\/fb05-iftek-kultur\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/573\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/Wesser_2024_portrait-744x1024-1-218x300.jpg 218w&quot;\n    },\n    &quot;align&quot;: &quot;&quot;,\n    &quot;hasLightbox&quot;: false,\n    &quot;caption&quot;: &quot;&quot;,\n    &quot;imgWidth&quot;: 0,\n    &quot;link&quot;: {\n        &quot;url&quot;: &quot;&quot;,\n        &quot;target&quot;: &quot;&quot;,\n        &quot;rel&quot;: &quot;&quot;\n    }\n}\" class=\"align-\">\n    \n<\/jgu-base-image><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><jgu-base-collapsiblearea class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-jgu-collapsible-area-is-layout-flow\" react-props=\"{&quot;visibleLines&quot;:5,&quot;collapse&quot;:&quot;always&quot;,&quot;collapsedHeight&quot;:150,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;\\n\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Biography&lt;\\\/strong&gt;&lt;\\\/p&gt;\\n\\n\\n\\n&lt;p&gt;Grit Wesser is a social anthropologist and, since October 2025, Lecturer in Cultural Studies\\\/European Ethnology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. In addition to her teaching commitments, she is responsible for developing, expanding, and curating the collections of the KA\\\/EE Archive, as well as for the internationalisation of the department.&lt;\\\/p&gt;\\n\\n\\n\\n&lt;p&gt;In her research, Grit focuses geographically on the former GDR and contemporary eastern Germany \\u2013 particularly Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt \\u2013 and conceptually on the relationship between kinship and the \\u201cstate.\\u201d She investigated this connection through ethnographic and historical fieldwork on the coming-of-age ritual Jugendweihe (doctoral research in eastern Germany) and on how GDR citizens acquired knowledge about the practices of the state security apparatus in the former GDR\\\/eastern Germany (collaborative project Knowing the Secret Police).&lt;\\\/p&gt;\\n\\n\\n\\n&lt;p&gt;Before joining Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Grit held postdoctoral positions at the University of Edinburgh (2016\\u20132018) and Newcastle University (2018\\u20132022), and taught at the International College at the University of Dundee (2023). In 2024, she was a DAAD Visiting Lecturer in Cultural Studies\\\/European Ethnology at JGU Mainz.&lt;\\\/p&gt;\\n\\n\\n\\n&lt;p&gt;Grit earned her MA (Hons) in Social Anthropology and Politics (2011) and her PhD in Social Anthropology (2016) from the University of Edinburgh. Before her academic career, she gained over 15 years of professional experience in administration and finance in both the private and public sectors in Germany, Ireland, and Scotland.&lt;\\\/p&gt;\\n\\n\\n\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;\\\/p&gt;\\n\\n\\n\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;\\\/p&gt;\\n\\n&quot;,&quot;className&quot;:&quot;alignwide &quot;}\"><\/jgu-base-collapsiblearea>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/573\/2025\/08\/CV_Grit-Wesser_2025.pdf\" data-type=\"attachment\" data-id=\"11686\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Curriculum Vitae<\/strong><\/a><br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/573\/2025\/08\/Publications_Wesser_2025.pdf\" data-type=\"attachment\" data-id=\"11689\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Publications<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<jgu-base-accordion react-props=\"{&quot;selected&quot;:7,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;wide&quot;,&quot;hasAllOpenButton&quot;:true,&quot;onlyOne&quot;:false,&quot;initAllClosed&quot;:true,&quot;enableSearch&quot;:false}\">\n    \n<jgu-base-accordionitem react-props=\"{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Research Focus Areas&quot;,&quot;init&quot;:false,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;research-focus-areas&quot;,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;wide&quot;,&quot;customSlug&quot;:false}\">\n    \n\n<ul class=\"has-big-font-size wp-block-list\">\n<li>Kinship and the &#8216;state&#8217;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>History and memory<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ritual and personhood<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Intergenerational kinship relations, especially in the context of profound social change<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dynamics of trust and intimacy, especially in relation to surveillance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Secrecy and knowledge<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Anthropology of food<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-accordionitem>\n\n<jgu-base-accordionitem react-props=\"{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Contact&quot;,&quot;init&quot;:false,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;contact&quot;,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;wide&quot;,&quot;customSlug&quot;:false}\">\n    \n\n<p>Jakob-Welder-Weg 20<br>55128 Mainz<br>Philosophicum II (New Building), 2nd Floor<br>Room 02.309<br><br>Email: <a href=\"mailto:gwesser@uni-mainz.de\">gwesser@uni-mainz.de<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Office hours<br><\/strong>by appointment via <a href=\"mailto:gwesser@uni-mainz.de\">email<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-accordionitem>\n\n<jgu-base-accordionitem react-props=\"{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Current Teaching&quot;,&quot;init&quot;:false,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;current-teaching&quot;,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;wide&quot;,&quot;customSlug&quot;:false}\">\n    \n\t<ol class=\"wp-block-list has-big-font-size\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"?event_id=396306969536298&amp;skip_groups=false\">\n\t\t\t\tMA PrS. Thematische Hinf\u00fchrung: Todsicher f\u00fcr ewig? Die Bestattungskultur Rheinland-Pfalz im Wandel<\/a><br>\n\t\t\t\tInstructor: Dr. Grit Wesser\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"?event_id=395860013201854&amp;skip_groups=false\">\n\t\t\t\tMA \u00dc. Datenerhebung (Modul IV): Todsicher f\u00fcr ewig? Die Bestattungskultur Rheinland-Pfalz im Wandel<\/a><br>\n\t\t\t\tInstructor: Dr. Grit Wesser\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"?event_id=395857982197441&amp;skip_groups=false\">\n\t\t\t\tPS. Einf\u00fchrungs ins wissenschaftliche Arbeiten<\/a><br>\n\t\t\t\tInstructor: Dr. Grit Wesser\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t<\/ol>\n\t<hr>\n<p>\n\tSoSe 2026\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-accordionitem>\n\n<\/jgu-base-accordion>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/jgu-base-section>    <div style=\"display: none\">\n        \n    <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1272,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13498","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"content_raw":"<!-- wp:jgu\/section {\"color\": \"dark\"} -->\n<div class=\"jgu-bgsection bg bg-dark\"><div class=\"content padding-medium\"><!-- wp:jgu\/heading {\"index\":\"Academic Staff Member | Erasmus+ Coordinator | KAEE Archive\",\"color\":\"default\",\"tags\":{\"htmlTag\":\"h2\",\"classTag\":\"\",\"tag\":\"h2\"},\"heading\":\"Dr. Grit Wesser\"} \/-->\n\n<!-- wp:columns -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns\"><!-- wp:column {\"width\":\"33.33%\"} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><!-- wp:jgu\/image {\"image\":{\"url\":null,\"id\":11340}} \/--><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:column -->\n\n<!-- wp:column {\"width\":\"66.66%\"} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><!-- wp:jgu\/collapsible-area -->\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Biography<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Grit Wesser is a social anthropologist and, since October 2025, Lecturer in Cultural Studies\/European Ethnology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. In addition to her teaching commitments, she is responsible for developing, expanding, and curating the collections of the KA\/EE Archive, as well as for the internationalisation of the department.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In her research, Grit focuses geographically on the former GDR and contemporary eastern Germany \u2013 particularly Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt \u2013 and conceptually on the relationship between kinship and the \u201cstate.\u201d She investigated this connection through ethnographic and historical fieldwork on the coming-of-age ritual Jugendweihe (doctoral research in eastern Germany) and on how GDR citizens acquired knowledge about the practices of the state security apparatus in the former GDR\/eastern Germany (collaborative project Knowing the Secret Police).<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Before joining Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Grit held postdoctoral positions at the University of Edinburgh (2016\u20132018) and Newcastle University (2018\u20132022), and taught at the International College at the University of Dundee (2023). In 2024, she was a DAAD Visiting Lecturer in Cultural Studies\/European Ethnology at JGU Mainz.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Grit earned her MA (Hons) in Social Anthropology and Politics (2011) and her PhD in Social Anthropology (2016) from the University of Edinburgh. Before her academic career, she gained over 15 years of professional experience in administration and finance in both the private and public sectors in Germany, Ireland, and Scotland.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n<!-- \/wp:jgu\/collapsible-area -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cms.zdv.uni-mainz.de\/fb05-iftek-kultur\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/573\/2025\/08\/CV_Grit-Wesser_2025.pdf\" data-type=\"attachment\" data-id=\"11686\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Curriculum Vitae<\/strong><\/a><br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/cms.zdv.uni-mainz.de\/fb05-iftek-kultur\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/573\/2025\/08\/Publications_Wesser_2025.pdf\" data-type=\"attachment\" data-id=\"11689\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Publications<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:jgu\/accordion {\"selected\":7} -->\n<!-- wp:jgu\/accordion-item {\"title\":\"Research Focus Areas\",\"init\":false,\"slug\":\"research-focus-areas\"} -->\n<!-- wp:list {\"fontSize\":\"big\"} -->\n<ul class=\"has-big-font-size\"><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Kinship and the 'state'<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>History and memory<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Ritual and personhood<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Intergenerational kinship relations, especially in the context of profound social change<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Dynamics of trust and intimacy, especially in relation to surveillance<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Secrecy and knowledge<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Anthropology of food<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ul>\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n<!-- \/wp:jgu\/accordion-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:jgu\/accordion-item {\"title\":\"Contact\",\"init\":false,\"slug\":\"contact\"} -->\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jakob-Welder-Weg 20<br>55128 Mainz<br>Philosophicum II (New Building), 2nd Floor<br>Room 02.309<br><br>Email: <a href=\"mailto:gwesser@uni-mainz.de\">gwesser@uni-mainz.de<\/a><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Office hours<br><\/strong>by appointment via <a href=\"mailto:gwesser@uni-mainz.de\">email<\/a><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n<!-- \/wp:jgu\/accordion-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:jgu\/accordion-item {\"title\":\"Current Teaching\",\"init\":false,\"slug\":\"current-teaching\"} -->\n<!-- wp:jgu\/jogustine {\"instructor\":\"Grit Wesser\"} \/-->\n<!-- \/wp:jgu\/accordion-item -->\n<!-- \/wp:jgu\/accordion --><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:column --><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:columns --><\/div><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:jgu\/section -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1272"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13498"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14975,"href":"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13498\/revisions\/14975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kultur.ftmk.uni-mainz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}