Reading Persian Documents

Persian documents constitute a rich and diverse body of textual evidence for understanding the political, administrative, social, and cultural worlds in which they were produced. While there is a considerable wealth of source materials held in libraries, museums, and archives, there is a dearth of educational resources and academic events providing the skills required to fluently read and correctly assess these documents in terms of their cultural and historical significance.

The summer school "Reading Persian Documents", held at the University of Münster, seeks to address precisely this issue. Organised by Philip Bockholt (TRANSLAPT, University of Münster) and Stanisław Adam Jaśkowski (University of Warsaw), the event will provide one week of intensive instruction on a wide range of handwritten source materials in Persian from the early modern through the modern period for students and scholars from all relevant fields.

When and where?

The summer school will take place from Monday, 5 July to Friday, 9 July 2027 at the University of Münster, Germany. The event will be conducted on-site and in person only (no online participation).

Course overview

With the summer school consisting of five days of intensive instruction, the programme will move through a range of documents, including royal correspondence, munshaʾāt, seals, tughras, chronology, and siyāq materials. The event thus focuses on specific document types as well as highly relevant auxiliary sciences that are used across genres. For each day, the instruction will include introductory lectures, intensive hands-on practice sessions with reading exercises, and homework.

Additionally, students will present their own documents and preliminary research during the afternoon sessions and have the chance to read and discuss their materials with the instructor and the group. The main aim of the summer school is to equip all students with a broad knowledge of the various genres of handwritten documents in Persian, as well as specific skills for dealing with the intricacies of some of these genres, and handwritten sources in Persian in general.

Eligibility and course level

Graduates, PhD students and postdocs from any relevant discipline whose research focuses on Persian handwritten materials are welcome to apply, provided that they have acquired an advanced level of Persian and can demonstrate the relevance of Persian documents for their research purposes. The working language of the summer school will be English. The number of places is limited to 20 students, to allow fruitful peer interaction and direct mentorship. While workshop participation is free of cost, participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs.

How to apply

Applications should be sent as a single PDF file titled with the applicant’s last name to translapt@uni-muenster.de with the subject line 'Persian documents' by 31.12.2026. This PDF file should consist of a CV and a letter of intent (max. 1 page), including a statement on the applicant’s proficiency in Persian, how the summer school would support their academic development, and a brief statement about the document to be discussed during an afternoon session. Applicants will be informed of the decision of the application committee by 31.01.2027 at the latest. 

For further questions, please contact the same email address, translapt@uni-muenster.de.