With deep gratitude and profound sadness, the Institute Heritage Studies commemorates its founder and long-standing director Prof. Dr. Marie-Theres Albert. Her scholarly contributions, institutional leadership, and visionary thinking have shaped the field of Heritage Studies and given it international
resonance.
After completing her studies and doctorate at the Technical University of Berlin, Marie-Theres Albert was appointed Chair of Intercultural Studies at Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus- Senftenberg in 1994. Early on, she recognised that cultural and natural heritage required new, transdisciplinary approaches. The establishment of the UNESCO Chair in Heritage Studies in 2003 marked a milestone that underscored her international standing.
She founded and directed the World Heritage Studies Master’s programme and later the Ph.D. Programme in Heritage Studies, both of which continue to connect scholars from around the world. With the creation of the Institute Heritage Studies in 2012, she established a unique space where
research, teaching, and international collaboration could flourish.
Marie-Theres Albert understood heritage as a dynamic social process shaped by responsibility, reflexivity, and dialogue. She worked tirelessly to link cultural diversity, social justice, and sustainable development. Her publications, projects, and international partnerships reflect a scholarly ethos
grounded in dedication and human openness.
Many of her students and colleagues remember her for her intellectual generosity, and her ability to create spaces in which new ideas could emerge. With her infectious enthusiasm for heritage, she motivated generations of young people to devote themselves to this field. Her influence endures in
the people she inspired and in the institutions she built. The Institute Heritage Studies honours a scholar whose impact reached far beyond her discipline.
We carry her legacy forward with deep respect and enduring appreciation.