Dr Uwe Meves, Professor Emeritus of Medieval German Studies (the study of the German language and literature of the Middle Ages) at the University of Oldenburg, has been awarded a ‘Lower Saxony Professorship’ in the history of German studies. In a field of applicants featuring some very prominent figures, Meves’s proposal to continue three of his research projects was successful: A collection of documents on the history of German studies in the 19th century, containing a large number of previously unpublished and annotated sources; a commentary on the correspondence between the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm; and an edition of the correspondence between the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and the philologist Moriz Haupt. “The Lower Saxony Professorship for Prof. Dr Uwe Meves further highlights the quality and reputation of medieval studies at Oldenburg,” says the Vice-President for Research, Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Hans-Jürgen Appelrath. The professorship is an excellent opportunity for Meves to complete his research projects, which are supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Excellent research does not depend on age – this is the premise behind the funding programme “Research 65+ – The Lower Saxony Professorship’, launched by the State of Lower Saxony and the Volkswagen Foundation, with the aim of retaining top researchers at universities beyond the statutory retirement age – such as Prof. Dr Uwe Meves, a lecturer at the Institute for German Studies, who retired at the end of the 2009 summer semester. Meves’ academic career began at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, where he obtained his doctorate in 1976 with a thesis on the epic poetry of the minstrels. After passing his second State Examination, he conducted research at the University of Trier and was appointed to the Oldenburg professorship for Early German Language and Literature in 1987. Meves’ main areas of research and teaching include medieval literature in its socio-historical and cultural-historical context, as well as the history of German studies as a discipline. He is the spokesperson for the international editorial board of the critical edition of the correspondence between Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm; his projects have received funding from the DFG on numerous occasions.