Conference "Commemorating Bar ʿEbroyo (1226-1286) – a West Asian polymath", Berlin (HU and FU), 14-17.10.2026
Im Jahr 2026 wiederholt sich der Jahrestag zum Geburtstag von Gregorius Bar `Ebroyo - einem der wichtigsten Gelehrten mittelalterlicher Geschichte des Nahen Ostens - zum 800. Mal. Anlässlich dieses Jahrestages organisieren das Institut für Geschichtswissenschaften der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin zusammen mit dem Institut für Semitistik der Freien Universität Berlin eine Tagung zu Ehren Bar Ebroyos.
The year 2026 marks the 800th anniversary of the birth of Gregorius Bar ʿEbroyo (1226–1286), one of the most remarkable scholars of the medieval Middle East. A theologian, mystic, philosopher, historian, legal scholar, linguist, physician, and scientist, Bar ʿEbroyo drew on the rich traditions of Syriac Christianity while engaging with the intellectual currents of the wider Islamic world. His writings shaped the intellectual life of Syriac-speaking communities for centuries and remain a key source for the study of the cultural and religious history of West Asia.
To mark this anniversary, the Institute for Historical Studies at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Institute for Semitic Studies at Freie Universität Berlin are jointly organizing a conference dedicated to Bar ʿEbroyo’s life, works, and legacy.
The conference will consist of two parts:
Science, Theology and Literature
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 14–15 October 2026
hybrid per Zoom: https://hu-berlin.zoom-x.de/j/63766034455?pwd=Tslxg6L0moMLIhX3pqOuQ302yHsn4U.1
The first part will focus on Bar ʿEbroyo’s literary and scholarly output, exploring his contributions to theology, mysticism, philosophy, science, poetry, and other fields of knowledge.
Syriac Historiography in Interaction
Freie Universität Berlin, 16–17 October 2026
hybrid per Webex: https://fu-berlin.webex.com/fu-berlin/j.php?MTID=m60fd7d61ce77bf79a4f8bc0137dfe64f
The second part will examine Syriac historiography and its interactions with neighboring historical traditions. Using Bar ʿEbroyo’s historiographical works as a point of departure, the conference will explore the diversity of historical writing among Syriac-speaking communities and its place within the broader intellectual landscape of the medieval Middle East.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Dorothea Weltecke (HU)
dorothea.weltecke@hu-berlin.de
date and place:
14.-15.10.2026 an der HU Berlin
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Hauptgebäude
Unter den Linden 6
10117 Berlin
R. 2249a
16.-17.10.2026 an der FU Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin
Fabeckstr. 23-25 (Holzlaube)
14195 Berlin
R. 2.2058
The program of the conference of Bar Ebroyo you can find here.
The visit to the State Library:
Meeting point on October 15, 2026, at 8:45 a.m. in the courtyard of the State Library, Unter den Linden.
In cooperation with FU Berlin.