Research Center „Transformations of Political Violence“ (TraCe)

Logo TraCe

Digitalization, climate change, globalization: The “Transformations of Political Violence” (TraCe) research center investigates whether and how forms of political violence are changing in the face of current global developments. The aim of the Hessian network is to identify conditions for peace within society and internationally as well as to develop strategies to contain political violence.

TraCe is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for a period of four years (2022 – 2026). Beyond PRIF, TraCe partners are the Goethe University Frankfurt, the Justus Liebig University Giessen, the Philipps University Marburg and the Technical University of Darmstadt. Four research areas structure the work of the interdisciplinary teams: 

The research area “Forms” examines how political violence has changed in the past and is changing today. On the one hand, it deals with intrastate conflicts, such as the question of how the increasing internationalization of civil war affects forms of political violence.  On the other hand, the focus is on the role of global trends, such as technological or environmental change. What new forms of political violence are emerging as a result of digitalization, and what impact does climate change have on violence? 

The research field “Institutions” examines whether and how political violence can be contained – or is reinforced – by certain (international) institutions. Institutions are, in principle, ambivalent: on the one hand they can contain the use of violence, on the other they can provide justification for it. In addition, there are more and more situations in which applicable law is not applied, for example, when new forms of political violence ignore existing rules. One question in this research area is therefore: How can new forms of political violence be encompassed by rules in institutions?

The research area “Interpretations” examines how people interpret past or present political violence, evaluate it as individuals or groups and what social practices arise from this. For example, it looks at how memory discourses and spaces of remembrance contribute to reading violence in a new or different light. Particular attention is paid to the city as a central space in which violence is exerted and interpreted.

In the research area “Synergies”, the results of research area 1 to 3 are brought together to better understand political violence: How are its changing forms, its expressions and its interpretations related? Are there new perspectives or concepts to better describe these transformations? This research area is therefore also concerned with fundamental questions relating to concepts and methodological as well as theoretical approaches to political violence.

In the framework of these different fields of research, TraCe brings together disciplinary perspectives from political science, sociology, history and law, social anthropology, social psychology, literature, cultural studies, linguistics and computer science, as well as various methodological approaches.

Co-Speaker

Jonas Wolff

Jonas Wolff

Directorate Member for PRIF

Sabine Mannitz

Central Office and Knowledge Transfer

Jannik Pfister

Jannik Pfister

Annika Poppe

Annika Elena Poppe

[Translate to Englisch:]

Rafael Rehm

Tina Cramer

Tina Cramer

Staff at PRIF

Raphael Cahen

Raphaël Cahen

Christopher Daase

Christopher Daase

Nicole Deitelhoff

Nicole Deitelhoff

Jonas Driedger

Larissa-Diana Fuhrmann

Larissa-Diana Fuhrmann

Rita Kopp

Rita Kopp

Thilo Marauhn

Thilo Marauhn

Hanna Pfeifer

Hanna Pfeifer

Núrel Bahí Reitz

Núrel Bahí Reitz

Regine Schwab

Regine Schwab

Hendrik Simon

Hendrik Simon

Iris Volg

Iris Volg

Student Assistants

  • Deborah Feldeisen
  • Nadja Saied
  • Frederik Schißler

TraCe Policy Briefs

  • Wie eine weitere Trump-Präsidentschaft den Russisch-Ukrainischen Krieg beeinflussen würde
    | 2024
    Driedger, Jonas J. (2024): Wie eine weitere Trump-Präsidentschaft den Russisch-Ukrainischen Krieg beeinflussen würde, TraCe Policy Brief, 6, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFTraCePB2406
  • Von der Insel des Friedens zum Kriegszustand: Hintergründe der Gewalteskalation in Ecuador
    | 2024
    Dressler, Elena; Wolff, Jonas (2024): Von der Insel des Friedens zum Kriegszustand: Hintergründe der Gewalteskalation in Ecuador, TraCe Policy Brief, 5, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFTraCePB2405
  • From Internet Shutdowns to Personal Harassment: Examining the Spectrum of Digital Violence Against Social Activists
    | 2024
    Guntrum, Laura Gianna; Reuter, Christian (2024): From Internet Shutdowns to Personal Harassment: Examining the Spectrum of Digital Violence Against Social Activists, Trace Policy Brief, 4, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFTraCePB2404
  • Weltweit auf dem Prüfstand: die Rechte von LSBTIQ*-Personen. Wie die deutsche Politik gefordert ist.
    | 2023
    Oettler, Anika; Reiss, Mariel (2023): Weltweit auf dem Prüfstand: die Rechte von LSBTIQ*-Personen. Wie die deutsche Politik gefordert ist. , TraCe Policy Brief, 3, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFTraCePB2303
  • Reintegration through Local Interactions: The Colombian Peace Process from the Perspective of Rural Communities
    | 2023
    Barrios Sabogal, Laura Camila; López Álvarez, Santiago; Wolff, Jonas (2023): Reintegration through Local Interactions: The Colombian Peace Process from the Perspective of Rural Communities, TraCe Policy Brief, 2, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFTraCePB2302
  • Three Years Since Hanau: How Inclusive is Germany's Contemporary Remembrance Culture?
    | 2023
    Mannitz, Sabine; Scheu, Lea Deborah; Stephanblome, Isabelle (2023): Three Years Since Hanau: How Inclusive is Germany's Contemporary Remembrance Culture?, TraCe Policy Brief, 1, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFTraCePB2301

TraCe Working Papers

  • Memory Before Violence
    | 2024
    Buckley-Zistel, Susanne; de Wolff, Kaya; Erll, Astrid; Frank, Sybille; Hannig, Nicolai; Mannitz, Sabine; Reiss, Mariel; Schwerer, Jona; Spittler, Sara-Luise; Wingender, Monika (2024): Memory Before Violence, TraCe Working Paper, 5, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFTraCeWP2405
  • Transformations in Genocide Discourse: Paths and Politics of Recognizing Colonial Genocides
    | 2024
    Ghattas, Sally; Mannitz, Sabine; Moses, A. Dirk; Reitz, Núrel Bahí (2024): Transformations in Genocide Discourse: Paths and Politics of Recognizing Colonial Genocides, TraCe Working Paper, 4, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFTraCeWP2404
  • Targeted Violence Against Social Activists
    | 2024
    Albarracín Dierolf, Juan; Wolff, Jonas (2024): Targeted Violence Against Social Activists. Characteristics, Causes, and Transformations, TraCe Working Paper, 3, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFTraCeWP2403
  • Transformation(en) der Gewaltrechtfertigung?
    | 2023
    Simon, Hendrik; Brock, Lothar (2023): Transformation(en) der Gewaltrechtfertigung?. Zum Verhältnis von Kriegslegitimation und internationaler Ordnungsbildung in Geschichte und Gegenwart, TraCe Working Paper, 2, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFTraCeWP2302
  • Views about the Sámi Truth Commission: An analysis of public discourse in Swedish media 2008-2023
    | 2023
    Ecker, Merle; Mannitz, Sabine (2023): Views about the Sámi Truth Commission: An analysis of public discourse in Swedish media 2008-2023, PRIF Working Paper, 59, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFWP59
  • Transformations of Political Violence?
    | 2022
    Daase, Christopher; Driedger, Jonas J.; Kroll, Stefan; Mannitz, Sabine; Simon, Hendrik; Wolff, Jonas (2022): Transformations of Political Violence?. A Research Program, TraCe Working Paper, 1, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFTraCeWP2201
  • Approaches to Decolonizing Settler Colonialism: Examples from Canada
    | 2022
    Kopp, Rita Theresa; Mannitz, Sabine (2022): Approaches to Decolonizing Settler Colonialism: Examples from Canada, PRIF Working Paper, 58, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PRIFWP58