If the newsletter does not display properly, please click here.

Dear friends and colleagues,

This week there were again tightened protective measures against the spread of the Corona virus. We would like to keep you up to date and point out the changes that are relevant for our fellows who are currently present in Leipzig. We would also like to draw your attention to the latest publications of our members, a new post on our bulletin, a webinar series and an online exhibition.

Enjoy and stay safe!

COVID-19 in Leipzig: updated and tightened health protection measures

University of Leipzig and at the KFG: The 7-day incidence of 50 was exceeded; the Corona warning traffic light of Leipzig University is officially set to red as of today. Therefore, the measures to contain the Corona virus must be further adjusted. All university buildings are now closed to the public and there is a minimum of traffic at the university. We are also readjusting our measures.

Colloquia: We would like to do everything we can for our protection, which is why we will be holding the colloquia exclusively in digital form again from now on and for the foreseeable future. We've already had practice in this and it worked out fantastically last time.

Daily virtual office hours: In order to reduce traffic in our offices and also to be able to continue to be available to you despite possible absences due to home office, our coordination team is offering a daily virtual office hour starting tomorrow. Between 1-2 pm you can ask your questions to Judith Zimmermann (LINK) or Lucy Frank (LINK) via Zoom. The links can be found on the start page of our Member Area and (badly visible but effective) behind the names. You can of course still reach us via e-mail as well.

University libraries: The libraries will remain open with shortened opening hours, the number of users who are in the reading rooms at the same time is still limited and will be controlled more strictly. Masks must also be worn at the booked workstations.

City of Leipzig and outside the KFG: Since last Monday, the Saxon Corona Protection Ordinance has been in force and the measures we informed you about last week have been stepped up again. There are currently extensive closings in the area of leisure, culture and gastronomy: restaurants (delivery and pick-up service excluded), bars, cinemas, theaters and sports facilities are closed until 30 November. In addition, there is a call for contact restrictions. Furthermore, it is strongly recommended to generally refrain from private travel and visits - even by relatives, except for good reasons. This also applies within Germany and for supra-regional tourist excursions. The same applies of course to research trips. The obligation to wear masks continues to apply to all premises accessible to the public with regular public traffic, such as shopping centers, and when staying at public transport stops, in train stations, pedestrian zones, on areas dedicated to sports and games. Excluded are sports activities (for example jogging) and locomotion without stopping with means of transport (for example cycling).

As the situation is obviously becoming more serious, we urgently appeal to you to comply with those measures in order to contain the spread of the corona virus.

And as always, we are here to help you if you have any questions. Let us continue to take good care of each other. Many thanks!

Webinar Series: Artificial Intelligence and Religion

The Center for Religious Studies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento is currently hosting a webinars series on Artificial Intelligence and Religion: AIR2020/21. The biweekly webinars will explore current interactions between research and innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) on the one hand, religious communities, institutions, practices, precepts, beliefs, and rites on the other. The series will bring together speakers from AI, religious studies, anthropology, economics, legal studies, philosophy, and sociology.

The sessions take place online every Wednesday. Registration in advance is required. Next week's webinar will focus on “Algorithms as Formations Analogous to Religion: Discourses and Materialities”.

Finding: "Rühr mich nicht an! Do not touch me!" - A virtual exhibition on the cultural history of social distancing

In 2020, "social distancing" was one of the central measures implemented worldwide to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a cultural technique, this kind of distancing is nothing new. There are numerous examples in art and literature that show how social relations throughout history have been shaped by distancing and keeping a distance. This virtual exhibition "Rühr mich nicht an! Do not touch me!" organised by the German Museum of Books and Writing in cooperation with the German Digital Library is a collection of prominent examples of distancing.

If you have any content that you think suits the purpose of the weekly, please feel free to send it to us at multiple-secularities@uni-leipzig.de.