The RiS8 conference took place from June, 1–3, 2023.
Many thanks to all participants for a wonderful conference! You can find a short conference report in Res Rhetorica 10 (2) 2023.
Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen is one of Germany’s oldest universities with more than 500 years of history. Many great intellectuals – including Kepler, Alzheimer, Hegel, and Schelling – have studied and worked here. Now it is one of eleven German Excellence Universities. With its seven faculties and more than 200 degree programmes, the university counts over 27,000 students.
Although the history of teaching rhetoric in Tübingen goes back to 1496, the rhetoric department in its current form has been established in 1967 with the creation of a Chair for General Rhetoric. Now, the department counts two full professorships and one senior professorship, 33 doctoral students and around 450 students studying Rhetoric in BA and MA programmes. In addition to countless publications on theory and history of rhetoric, for 26 years the Tübingen rhetoric department has been housing the monumental 10-volume Historical Dictionary of Rhetoric project (Historischer Wörterbuch der Rhetorik).
For a pensive walk after a full day of stimulating panels we recommend visiting the Tübingen old town. Located within a walking distance from the main conference venue, the old town offers – in addition to the picturesque cobblestone streets and a castle on a hill – endless cafés, restaurants, and little shops to explore. Our personal tip is to have a relaxing evening drink at the „Boulanger“ – a pub that has been offering merriment inducing beverages since 1782. Hegel, Schelling and Hölderlin have been among its regulars.