Institute for Higher Education Studies has a new curator

10/27/2026

On 1 July 2026, Professor Johannes Sander succeeded Dr. Michaela Neubert as curator of the Institute for Higher Education Studies (IfH). The institute is unique in Germany in its present form.

Johannes Sander first worked at the IfH as a student assistant. He is now its new curator. (Image: André Mischke)

Johannes Sander is a professor at the Institute of Art History at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU). In his new role as curator at the Institute for Higher Education Studies (IfH), he is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations as well as medium- and long-term projects. The institute houses an extensive research library, several archives, and a wide-ranging collection relating to the history of universities, science, and student life.

Long-standing ties with the institute

Originally from North Rhine-Westphalia, Sander has been associated with the IfH for many years. He first worked there as a student assistant in 2007/08 and later as a part-time research associate between 2010 and 2012.

Digitisation on the agenda

One of Johannes Sander's main priorities in his new role at the IfH is to continue digitising the institute's extensive collections. The IfH holds more than 4,000 graphic works, which are to be professionally photographed and catalogued in a database over time. The aim is to make the entire database publicly accessible as soon as possible, thereby strengthening the IfH's regional and international cooperation with other institutions, such as museums.

Numerous three-dimensional objects also await digitisation, including an extensive collection of painted porcelain pipe bowls, some dating back to the early 19th century. Another collection well known among specialists consists of Stammbücher, or friendship albums, some of which are up to 400 years old. With around 120 volumes, the IfH holds one of the largest collections of its kind in Germany. In the past, it has already collaborated on this collection with major institutions in the region, including the Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar. This collection is also to be digitised and made accessible to the public.

Johannes Sanders' career

Johannes Sander began studying art history, history, and German studies at JMU in 2002, graduating with a Magister Artium degree in 2008. In 2012, he completed his doctorate (Dr phil.) with a dissertation on architectural history.

From 2014 to 2017, Sander worked as a research associate at the Professorship of Franconian Church History and Modern Church History in the Faculty of Catholic Theology. During this time, he completed his habilitation in art history with a research project based there on the medieval architectural history of Würzburg Cathedral. He was granted his teaching qualification in 2018.

From 2020 to 2023, he was also involved in the research project "The Simrock-Boisserée Estate" at the Institute of Art History. In 2025, Johannes Sander was appointed an adjunct professor (außerplanmäßiger Professor) at the University of Würzburg.

The Institute for Higher Education Studies

The history of the IfH dates back to 1922. Since 2006, it has been an affiliated institute of the University of Würzburg. It is funded primarily by the German Society for Higher Education Studies (DGfH), with additional support from JMU and other organisations.

Since July 2014, the IfH has been housed in a renovated building on the Hubland Nord Campus, together with the University Archives and the Research Centre for the Teutonic Order. The IfH is open to anyone wishing to use its resources for research purposes.