Two NWO grants for the Humanities

NWO Humanities has awarded grants to two research teams from the University of Groningen within the framework of the Humanities Open Competition. The Open Competition makes funds available for the best Humanities research proposals, without thematic conditions.

Six proposals in total were honoured, two of which were from Groningen. They are:

Mekka: 'Magischer dan Disneyland' [Mecca: more magical than Disneyland]

Dr. Marjo Buitelaar, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies
Mecca is becoming more and more popular as a destination for Muslims. The researchers are going to examine how customs related to the pilgrimage to Mecca are developing under the influence of globalization and modernization, and what meaning the pilgrimage currently has for the religiosity and multiple identity of Moroccan and Dutch Muslims in particular.

Religieuze leescultuur in middeleeuwse steden [Religious reading culture in Medieval cities]

Dr. Sabrina Corbellini and Prof.dr. Bart Ramakers , Faculty of Arts
In the fifteenth century, more and more urban dwellers were able to read. They mainly read religious texts, which they collected and disseminated. A team of five researchers is going to chart this rich reading culture by studying active reading attitudes, networks of readers and places where texts were stored and exchanged.