Prof. Dr. Mark Schmitt
- Name
- Prof. Dr. Mark Schmitt
- mark.schmitt@hu-berlin.de
- Institution
- Humboldt-Universität → Präsidium → Sprach- und literaturwissenschaftliche Fakultät → Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik → Englische Kulturwissenschaft und Kulturgeschichte
- Function / Working Area
- Professor
- Visiting address
- Dorotheenstraße 28 , Room 2.09
- Phone number
- (030) 2093 70896
- Mailing address
- Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin
Sprechstunden während des Sommersemesters:
Mo 15.00 - 16.00 Uhr
Die Sprechstunde findet wahlweise in Präsenz oder über Zoom statt.
Terminvereinbarung über das Sekretariat: jana.sodtke@rz.hu-berlin.de
Hinweise zur Betreuung von Abschlussarbeiten (B.A./M.A.)
Guidelines for Written Assignments (term papers, essays, BA/MA theses)
Research Fields:
- British culture and literature
- Irish culture and literature
- film studies
- cultural theory and the history of cultural studies
- futures studies
- pessimism
- cultural figurations of class, race and social abjection
Current Projects:
- My current research focusses on future studies, counter-hegemonic futures and pessimism in the context of cultural studies. My book titled Spectres of Pessimism: A Cultural Logic of the Worst (Palgrave) was published in March 2023.
- A recording of a presentation on my research in futures studies and cultural studies at KWI Essen can be found here.
- Interview about my research: "KWI-Blog – Fünf Fragen" (15 June 2020).
Upcoming events:
Pessimism: A Panel Discussion on the Cultural Logic of the Worst
with Shona HUnter (Leeds Beckett University), Solvejg Nitzke (Ruhr-Universität Bochum) and Mark Schmitt (HU)
Wed, May 7th 2025
16:00-18:00
HU main building, Unter den Linden 6, room 2249a
Recent years have seen an increasing interest in pessimist philosophy and its diversification, from afropessimism to queer pessimism, antinatalism and eco-pessimism. As a philosophy of time, pessimism points to the lost futures haunting the present – and thus constitutes a provocation for cultural theory and cultural analysis. Using Mark Schmitt’s recent book Spectres of Pessimism: A Cultural Logic of the Worst (Palgrave 2023) as a starting point, the three discussants will share their perspectives on the challenges and potential of pessimist philosophies on their respective areas of expertise, ranging from cultural and literary studies to sociology.
The event is open to all students and university members. Prior registration is not necessary.
Research assistant: Konstantin Helm
Student Assistants: Ethan Samuel Fenlon, Carolin Liebig, Leyli Mussawisade
Secretary: Jana Sodtke