Cultural aspects of the economy and everyday life
“Dirk Hohnstraeter aims to
avoid the routines of
cultural critique”
– Süddeutsche Zeitung
Research and teaching
Dirk Hohnstraeter is an academic who explores cultural aspects of the economy and everyday life with particular attention to aesthetics.
He is a tenured lecturer at the University of Hildesheim, where he also serves as the director of the Consumption Culture Research Center, a research unit that focuses on material culture in modernity. From 2020 to 2023, Dirk was a Visiting Professor of Communication in Social and Economic Contexts at the Berlin University of the Arts. Previous positions include five years as a lecturer at the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest (Hungary) and one year as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Notre Dame (USA).
A cultural theorist and literary scholar by training, Dirk earned his PhD in Culture Studies from Berlin’s Humboldt University and holds an MA in German Language and Literature, as well as Philosophy from the University of Tubingen. His work has been funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung).
Publications and presentations
In his academic career to date, Dirk has written two scholarly books (one on cultural aspects of ecological challenges and another on the portrayal of screenwriters in feature films), (co-)edited seven anthologies, and published over 40 academic papers.
He followed numerous invitations to speak at top universities worldwide, including:
Professional activities and media appearances
Dirk hosted numerous conferences, workshops, and lectures. He also served as an expert in academic, corporate, and political contexts and participated in several selection committees.
Dirk frequently shares his insights with a broader audience in major European media outlets such as German national television, radio, and podcasts, as well as renowned magazines and newspapers.