Summer School 2026: War and the Media, 14.–16th September 2026

Summer School 2026: War and the Media, 14.–16th September 2026

​War and the Media: On the Current Relevance of Friedrich Kittler's Gramophone, Film, Typewriter

From September 14 to 16, 2026, the Friedrich-Kittler-Gesellschaft, in cooperation with Professor Shintaro Miyazaki of the Department of Cultural History, Theory and Media Studies at Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, will host its annual summer school. The thematic focus will be on the continuing relevance of the 1986 book Gramophone, Film, Typewriter.

Since the publication of his book, Friedrich Kittler has been a sought-after guest on the subject of war in the press, on the radio, and on television. In academic circles, however, his ideas were viewed with skepticism – with a few notable exceptions – and after his death were dismissed as ‘the last theory of the Cold War.’ At the same time, students followed in his footsteps, producing theses, essays, and artistic works that addressed the topic at a time when it seemed to have been settled for European democracies under the protection of the Pax Americana.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022, initiated a changing mindset. Today, the issue of war is everywhere: whether it's a "war of aggression", "information war", "energy war", or "trade war," war is being waged on every level, and the media are playing a crucial role at every level. Europe's hope for a peaceful global policy in the long term has receded into the distant future. Instead, we are witnessing the decline of the Pax Americana, a global military build-up, new automated weapon systems enhanced by artificial intelligence that are being deployed in armed conflicts around the world, as well as further bellicose gestures toward Cuba, Taiwan, and Greenland. War is being conducted on all channels; the channels themselves are part of the warfare, as a look at the Starlink satellite network, spearheaded by Elon Musk, reveals. Against this backdrop, Gramophone, Film, Typewriter will be discussed with experts.

Master’s students, doctoral candidates, and postdocs with research projects on the topics of War and the Media and/or Gramophone, Film, Typewriter are invited to submit proposals for presentations (max. 1 A4 page) to sandrina.khaled@hu-berlin.de. The deadline for submissions is August, 31, 2026.

The working languages are German and English.

Three ECTS credits may be awarded for active participation in the Summer School; you must clarify in advance with your university whether these credits will be recognized.