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Cyprus event in Berlin - Review

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To mark Cyprus's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Political Education Forum Berlin of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung held a lecture and discussion evening at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Academy in Berlin.

After a brief introduction by Sebastian Weise, a research associate at the Political Education Forum Berlin, Marian Wendt, acting head of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung's office for Greece and Cyprus, presented the work of the foreign office, focusing particularly on Cyprus.

Subsequently, Dr Thorsten Kruse provided the numerous guests with a comprehensive overview of Cyprus's history. Entitled "Cyprus's Political Situation – From British Rule to the Present Day", his lecture spanned a wide range of topics, from the Christianization of the island in 45 AD to the failure of the most recent reunification talks in 2017, and concluded with a look ahead.

Building on this, Georgios Stavrinou, Envoy and Deputy Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Berlin, offered insights into current developments on the island, particularly in the context of Cyprus's ongoing EU Council Presidency.

After the lectures, Dr Kruse and Mr Stavrinou took questions from the audience in a panel discussion moderated by Carlos Kleiner.

Lecture as part of the lecture series

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On 5 May 2026, Christian Rode from the University of Bonn will give a lecture entitled ‘Rule between Nature and History: Thomas Aquinas’ *De regno ad regem Cypri*’ as part of the lecture series ‘The Sweet Land of Cyprus’.
Further information about the lecture can be found in this PDF file [de].
Venue: Schlossplatz 2
Lecture Room: S10
Time: 18.00 c.t.

 

Cultural Event

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Eleni Mouzourou and Hasan Aksaygin
Distillation Conversations_yasemin
Lecture performance
Location: Archaeological Museum of the University of Münster
Address: Domplatz 20-22, 48143 Münster
Date: 28 April 2026
Start time: 18:00 (s.t.)
Event language: English

How can plants become companions in exploring our connections across territory, language and (un-)belonging? Distillation Conversations_yasemin is a lecture–performance with Eleni Mouzourou and Hasan Aksaygin, in which jasmine and its scent guide an examination of how (post)memories and perspectives of homeland intertwine and separate. Like humans, jasmine arrived in Cyprus through migration waves and resonates deeply within local and emerging Cypriot communities. Its scent mediates a reterritorialisation of “home,” imagining belonging as a continuum between an already-mixed Cypriot identity and our belonging to the planet. Conceived as a work-in-progress, the lecture performance reflects the dynamic, open-ended process of memory. It draws on the artists’ experiences to tell stories of hybridity, embracing the transformations that come through encounters between self and others.

An event organised in collaboration with the Institute for Interdisciplinary Cyprus Studies
of the University of Münster and the Archaeological Museum of the University of Münster, with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Berlin, Cultural Department.

Due to limited capacity, prior registration is required. Please send an email to: zypern@uni-muenster.de

Presentation by the Cypriot Ambassador at the State Chancellery in Düsseldorf

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On 16 April 2026, Thorsten Kruse attended a Cyprus event at the Düsseldorf State Chancellery at the invitation of Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Relations, Media, and Head of the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The centrepiece was a presentation by the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to Germany, Maria Papakyriakou. She outlined the priorities of the Cypriot EU Council Presidency for the numerous guests in attendance and offered a mid-term assessment. The goals set for the presidency were on track to be met by its conclusion on 30 June – negotiations on the EU budget for the 2028–2034 period, for instance, were already well advanced.
In his welcome address, host Nathanael Liminski highlighted the special connection between North Rhine-Westphalia and Cyprus: the federal state is home to the Cyprus Institute, the only interdisciplinary research centre of its kind in Europe.
The cultural programme was provided by Cypriot percussionist Enyalios Evangelou Papadopoulos.

Event on the EU Council Presidency in Hanover  

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On 14 April 2025, Thorsten Kruse was a guest in Hannover at the invitation of the State Capital Hannover, the Hannover Region and the European Information Centre of Lower Saxony. As part of the event "Cyprus – Among Friends: European Politics, History and Cultural Heritage in Dialogue", he explored the tensions between religion and politics in his lecture. The subsequent panel discussion with Prof. Hubert Faustmann from the University of Nicosia focused on how Cyprus navigates the balancing act between the EU budget, climate targets and European security.

A short report on the event can be found on the Hannover Region website.

Photos

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Working meeting in Münster

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On 27 February 2026, Thorsten Kruse, Managing Director of the Cyprus Institute, welcomed Marianna Christofides, Cultural Attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Berlin, Marianna Christofides, and the two Cypriot artists Eleni Mouzourou and NATIS (Hasan Aksaygın), who have been living and working in Berlin for some time, to a working meeting in Münster. The focus was on preparing a joint performance project, which will be presented shortly.

The group began by visiting the Archaeological Museum of the University of Münster. The museum's curator, Torben Schreiber, introduced the current special exhibition and then presented the small Cyprus collection in the basement, among other things. The guests were also given a glimpse behind the scenes of the museum. In a subsequent exchange, possibilities were discussed as to how different areas of the museum could be integrated into the planned project.

Following the museum visit, Thorsten Kruse welcomed the guests to the Cyprus Institute. After a brief tour of the premises, there was an intensive discussion in which further conceptual aspects and the next steps of the upcoming performance project were discussed.

 

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Assumption of the EU Council Presidency

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On 1 January 2026, the Republic of Cyprus assumed the EU Council Presidency.
Under the motto “An Autonomous Union. Open to the World”, the Eastern Mediterranean island nation is taking over the EU Presidency for the second time in its history.
The official website contains all the important information about the upcoming tasks for the first half of 2026, including the programme and a calendar of events.

Symbolic handover of the EU Council Presidency

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On 18 December 2025, the long-standing tradition of the symbolic handover of the EU Council Presidency continued at the Felleshus (community centre) of the Nordic Embassies in Berlin. To mark the transition of the EU Council Presidency from Denmark to Cyprus on 1 January 2026, the customary handover of the Berlin EU Council Presidency Wheel took place in the capital, as it has for many years.
Following an invitation from Cypriot Ambassador Maria Papakyriakou, Executive Director Prof. Michael Grünbart and the Managing Director of the Cyprus Institute Dr Thorsten Kruse travelled to Berlin for this event. In addition to the handover of the bicycle, Ambassador Papakyriakou presented the key points of Cyprus' upcoming Presidency. President Nikos Christodoulidis will shortly give a detailed presentation of the work of the Cypriot Presidency. The entire event was accompanied by performances from the Berlin HXOS choir. 

Impressions of the event

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DIPLOMATISCHES MAGAZIN also reported extensively on the event. The report and additional photos can be found here or in the ‘Events’ section of the DIPLOMATISCHES MAGAZIN website.

Research stay at the Cyprus Institute

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Dr Catherine Keane, a late antique archaeologist and Byzantine art historian, is a visiting researcher at the Cyprus Institute from 15 to 17 December 2025. During her time in Münster, she will further her research into the significance of Late Antique churches in Cyprus. On 16 December, she will give a lecture entitled 'More than a Church: Late Antique Ecclesiastical Complexes in Cyprus', as part of the 'Byzantios – Streifzüge durch das Reich der Rhomäer' research colloquium.

Visit to the Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence in Limassol and the German Embassy in Nicosia

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On 12 December, Thorsten Kruse visited the Cultural Heritage Cluster at the Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence in Limassol.
He had discussions with Dr Dante Abate and Dr Konstantinos Roussos about opportunities to integrate remote sensing, digital technologies, and geophysical methods into the institute's ongoing projects, particularly those dealing with the documentation of inter-communal religious heritage in Cyprus. The participants also discussed how Earth observation and non-invasive surveying techniques could complement historical and social research, offering new perspectives on the documentation of sensitive and complex cultural landscapes.
It was agreed at the end of the talks to begin cooperation with a pilot study to test the scalability of this interdisciplinary approach, as well as to establish long-term, sustainable cooperation between the institutions.
Both parties are looking forward to taking the next steps and jointly advancing innovative, technology-based approaches to researching and protecting the shared cultural heritage.

Sincere thanks go to Dr Dirk Roland Haupt, Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy in Nicosia, and Dr Andreas Andreou, who facilitated the exchange with the Cultural Heritage Cluster of the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence following a meeting at the German Embassy.

'Reif für die Insel' - Interview with Prof. Michael Grünbart

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In the current issue of the university newspaper wissen|leben, Prof. Michael Grünbart, the Cyprus Institute's Executive Director, discusses the upcoming presidency of the Council by the Republic of Cyprus in the first half of the year, and the challenges this will present. In the article, he also explains the Cyprus Institute's planned focus areas for the near future. The article can be found here in the online version of the university newspaper.

New Managing Director

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Thorsten Kruse has been the new Managing Director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Cyprus Studies at the University of Münster since August 1, 2025. Following the official reopening of the institute in July 2025, he succeeds Sabine Rogge, who retired in October 2020.
Thorsten Kruse has been conducting academic research on Cyprus for almost 25 years and has extensive knowledge of Cyprus-specific topics. Since 2015, he has initiated various projects on the island's religious heritage. The already very comprehensive results of one of these ongoing projects, entitled “Religious Heritage of Cyprus,” can be found on the project website www.cyreligiousheritage.org/.

Reopening of the Cyprus Institute

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On 3 July 2025, Lord Mayor Markus Lewe received the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus, Maria Papakyriakou, in the Peace Hall in the Historic Town Hall. After taking a sip from the tap reserved for special guests, the ambassador signed the City of Münster's Golden Book. She visited Münster on the occasion of the reopening of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Cyprus Studies, which also took place on 3 July.

 

Impressions of the reception

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Website on religious heritage of Cyprus

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Within the framework of the research project "Religion and Politics - Dealing with Cemeteries, Places of Worship and Religious Memorial Places in Cyprus", based at the Cyprus Institute (University of Münster) and led by our colleague Dr Thorsten Kruse, a new important project milestone has been implemented. The website can be found under:

https://www.cyreligiousheritage.org/

The website presents the current condition of Christian and Muslim places of worship and cemeteries in a transparent, descriptive way and has the endorsement and support of the religious communities of Cyprus.
The interactive website was developed and realised by Dr Kruse with support by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) in Cyprus and the Office of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process under the Auspices of the Embassy of Sweden (RTCYPP).
The website enables all interested visitors to easily access the recorded data concerning the religious heritage of Cyprus and to inform themselves about the current status of the Christian and Muslim religious heritage on the island.
The relevant information on the surveyed villages and religious sites can be accessed both by their district affiliation and via an interactive map that also allows for an individual search:

https://www.cyreligiousheritage.org/site-locator

So, give it a click and join us to protect the rich religious heritage of Cyprus.

Publication of a report on religious heritage in the greater Nicosia area

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On Wednesday 6 October 2021, Thorsten Kruse, presented at Chateau Status in Nicosia (Cyprus) the report he has prepared on the current situation of the religious heritage of the Christian and Muslim communities in Greater Nicosia, which was forcibly left behind in the 1960s and after 1974.
After the welcome by Mehmet Harmancı, Mayor of the Turkish Municipality of Nicosia, Hubert Faustmann, Head of the Cyprus Office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, and Salpy Eskidjian from the Office of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process (RTCYPP), Thorsten Kruse presented his report, which was financially supported by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and published in the series "Democracy and Human Rights".
The report (in English) is available at http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/zypern/18387.pdf and at the project website https://www.cyreligiousheritage.org/.

When the Cemetery Becomes Political – Dealing with the Religious Heritage in Multi-Ethnic Regions

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Editors: Thorsten Kruse, Hubert Faustmann, Sabine Rogge
Schriften des Instituts für Interdisziplinäre Zypern-Studien, vol. 14
Münster / New York: Waxmann 2020

226 pages, with numerous illustrations
Paper-bound: € 34,90, ISBN 978-3-8309-4265-8
E-Book: € 30,99, ISBN 978-3-8309-9265-3

further information

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Book reviews:

• FRH - Future for Religious Heritage (online book review)
  "Highly recommended read to gain a better understanding of the complex issue of religious heritage in a diverse Europe."

 

Farewell to the Cyprus Institute

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After almost 25 years at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Cypriot Studies Dr. Sabine Rogge, the Managing Director of this institution, retired on 31 October 2020.