Doktorand:in im Rahmen des MSCA - Doktorandennetzwerk TESTAMENT (Testamentarische Praktiken am Rande der Tradition des ius commune: Freiheit und Unterdrückung (ca. 1420-1620))

Job advertisement

Vacancy ID: 084/2026

Closing date: 2026-04-20

The Friedrich Schiller University Jena is a dynamic and innovation-driven university centrally located in Germany. With a broad range of disciplines, it shapes the future through excellent research and teaching. Its scientific excellence is reflected in the profile areas Light – Life – Liberty, which provide pioneering insights and sustainable solutions for the society of tomorrow. Through close collaborations with leading research institutions, innovative companies, and renowned cultural organizations, it advances interdisciplinary developments. With around 17,000 students and approximately 10,000 employees, it defines Jena as a vibrant, internationally connected city of science and innovation.

The Faculty of Law seeks to fill the position of a

PhD Candidate within the MSCA - Doctoral Network TESTAMENT (Testamentary practices in the periphery of the ius commune tradition: freedom and oppression (c. 1420-1620))

commencing on September 1, 2026.

We offer a full-time position (40 hours per week) for 3 years until August 31, 2029.

Research Focus:

Investigate the role of jurists and interest groups in shaping manorial regulations in Saxony during the 16th and 17th centuries, especially concerning testamentary law. The project involves archival research, studying legislative processes, and analyzing how actors influenced legal practices and testamentary freedom within late medieval and early modern law. You will conduct research in archives in Saxony and Thuringia, stay at partner universities such as KU Leuven, and engage with an international research network.

Your responsibilities:

Conduct research on the influence of jurists and interest groups in the creation of manorial testamentary regulations (16th–17th centuries)

Prepare and work towards a doctoral thesis on this topic

Participate actively in the MSCA training programs, including summer/winter schools, conferences, and seminars

Present research at at least one international conference

Publish at least one peer-reviewed scientific article

Collaborate with the research community at the University of Jena and other project partners

Undertake a six-month research stay at KU Leuven

Complete two separate two-month internships at the Thuringian State Archive in Weimar and the Saxon State Archive in Leipzig, involving documentation registration and archival research

Your profile:

Masters degree in Law

Creative, ambitious, persistent, and team-oriented

Excellent English language skills; passive German skills; Latin proficiency is an advantage

Willing to participate in international research stays, including work in archives

The mobility rule applies: you have not resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date - unless as part of a compulsory national service or a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention

We offer:

Full-time employment for three years

MSCA funding includes living, mobility and, if applicable, family allowance – granting you a gross salary of €3,920 or €4,460 (including family allowance)

Opportunities for international research stays, secondments, and participation in training events

Engagement in digital and interdisciplinary research activities, including dissemination strategies for a broad audience.

A Graduate Academy for doctoral candidates and postdocs.

A family-friendly working environment with a variety of offers for families: University Family Office JUniFamilie and flexible childcare (JUniKinder).