Current Projects
Muslim life in Europe – people and architecture
Project Duration: 2025 till 2026
Coordination: Dr Madleen Krüger
The Europe-wide project focuses on a photographic and academic exploration of the Muslim presence in Europe. It aims to make religious, cultural, and social diversity in the European context more visible. The project will result in a photo book with three main themes: the presence of Islamic architecture and religious symbols, the diversity of Muslim life, and the shared challenges and opportunities for European societies in terms of lifestyle, identity, and social cohesion.
The photographic documentation shows both historical and modern mosques in different European countries. It highlights architectural developments and local adaptations. This focus on architecture is complemented by portraits and everyday scenes of Muslims in Europe, showing them in daily and religious contexts: at prayer, reading the Qur’an, at weddings, funerals, or in public spaces.
In addition to the photos, the book features articles by experts from different disciplines. These contributions shed light on topics such as the history of Muslims in Europe, migration experiences, religious practices, and aesthetic and creative expressions of Islam.
Completed Projects
Muslim life and Islamic knowledge in secular societies
Project Duration: 2018-2021 Funded by Federal Foreign Office
Coordination: 2018-2019 Erkin Calisir, Benedikt Körner; 2020-2021 Anja Glaser, Sukayna El-Zayat
Between 2018 and 2022, a series of projects—funded by the German Federal Foreign Office—sought to bring together expertise and experiences from universities, civil society actors, Muslim communities, and public institutions across borders. With a geographical focus on Europe and North America, with focus on secular European an US-societies characterized by significant Muslim minority populations various activities have taken place.
Until 2019 the international exchange focused on the topic of Muslim chaplaincy as a resource for social welfare. In subsequent years, attention shifted toward the education and training of Muslim religious professionals in Europe and North America. Several international conferences were organised with participants from state institutions, academia, and religious communities representing 15 different countries.
Key themes addressed included:
- Muslim Chaplaincy – A Resource for Social Welfare?
- From CopyPaste to Domestic Training? Muslim Religious Leadership in Europe and North America
- Building Bridges between State and Muslim Communities: Domestic Training of Muslim Religious Professionals as a Common Issue
- Approaches to Cooperation between the State and Muslim Communities: Training of Muslim Religious Professionals in Europe
- Education and Training of Muslim Religious Professionals in Europe and North America
