Publications & Public Relations

The Publications, Public Relations, Reporting (PPRR) service unit is responsible for the outward-facing activities of the Institute; it attends to those tasks relating to the face that the Hertziana presents both to the larger research community and the broader public. By overseeing several publication series and journals, this unit offers suitable solutions in print and open access for the various research interests of the Institute and, if necessary, modifies existing publication series by adapting them to the requirements of specific research ventures. In addition, it plans and organizes publications in the respective publication organs and supports the quality assurance of the scholarship produced at the Institute. The PPRR is furthermore committed to disseminating the research and results of our Institute to the academic community in the humanities and to presenting selected research projects and their results to a wider public. It contributes both to the internal communication within the Institute and to the external communication by enhancing the visibility of the Hertziana with all its international and interdisciplinary research activities, by strengthening its position in the discipline of art history, and by promoting the broader appreciation of its achievements in the public eye.

We are a very small core team, which is also responsible for the Institute’s reporting. We rely on the support of external specialists such as graphic designers and copy-editors to fulfil our tasks. Due to the high fluctuation in the pool of freelancers, a great deal of effort is required to supervise these external specialists, including coordinating and quality-controlling their services. Structural understaffing remains evident and affects our work in all areas. While there is no denying the positive synergies that can be achieved by merging these work areas, it takes a great deal of commitment and sometimes rather hard-headed pragmatism to achieve this balancing act. As a result, we often have to forgo new or innovative initiatives in order not to neglect our day-to-day tasks. This is regrettable for an area that, by definition, benefits from innovation and creativity.