PhD in Heritage and Tourism: Witch Hunts as a Gendered Traumascape

Witches continue to capture the imagination. But how does the history of witch persecutions take shape today in heritage and tourism? And how do different actors - from heritage institutions to local communities - interpret and use this history?

For a four-year PhD project we are looking for a doctoral candidate who will investigate these questions through the case of early modern witch persecutions in the Netherlands. The project is part of the larger research programme Traumascapes, which explores how societies engage with difficult or traumatic histories in landscapes, heritage practices and tourism.

Within this programme, the PhD project focuses on how memories of witch persecutions circulate today in heritage practices and tourism contexts, such as museums, walking routes, local storytelling initiatives, digital platforms and contemporary witch-identifying or pagan communities. The project approaches these contemporary engagements with the past as a gendered traumascape, paying particular attention to the role of gender, heritage practices and processes of value formation.

In addition to an in-depth study of the Dutch case, the project will develop thematic comparisons with other case studies within the Traumascapes programme. The research therefore contributes not only to new insights into the cultural afterlives of witch persecutions, but also to the development of a broader analytical framework for studying gendered traumascapes in heritage and tourism contexts.

Job description
As a PhD candidate, you will conduct independent academic research within the framework of the project and work towards a doctoral dissertation.

Your research will examine the contemporary cultural and touristic representation of witch persecutions in the Netherlands and explore how this history is interpreted, mobilised and negotiated in different social contexts. You will use qualitative research methods such as discourse analysis, site-based observation, and interviews with relevant actors in heritage, tourism and civil society.

In addition to studying the Dutch case, you will develop a thematic comparative perspective with other traumascapes within the broader research programme. Through this comparison, you will contribute to the development of a methodological approach for analysing gendered traumascapes in heritage and tourism contexts.

You will publish the results of your research in academic articles and present them at national and international conferences. You will also actively participate in the activities of the Traumascapes consortium and contribute to knowledge exchange with societal partners. Finally, you will contribute to the educational programs of the Arts and Culture Department (15% of your time).

We are looking for a candidate who is motivated to conduct interdisciplinary research at the intersection of culture, history, heritage and tourism.

You have:

• a completed Master’s degree (preferably a Research Master’s) in Cultural Studies, Heritage Studies, History, Religious Studies, Anthropology, Media Studies, Tourism Studies or a related discipline;
• demonstrated interest in themes such as heritage, memory cultures, difficult histories, gender studies, religion or tourism;
• affinity with qualitative research methods and academic research (for example demonstrated through your MA thesis or a research internship);
• strong academic writing skills in English (C1);
• good communication skills and a willingness to collaborate within an interdisciplinary research programme.
• Dutch proficiency (B2), or willingness to learn Dutch, is required due to the fieldwork and Dutch-language sources involved in the project.

We are looking for a curious, independent and collaborative researcher who is eager to contribute to an ambitious and interdisciplinary research project. You are intellectually curious and motivated to make an original contribution to academic debate through your research.

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 1 September 2026 and you will be based at the Arts and Culture Studies department in Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC). This position is for 0.8 fte - 1 fte. The salary ranges from a minimum of € 3.059 to a maximum of € 3.881 gross per month Scale PhD on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is entered into for the duration of 1 year, and can be extended with another 3 years.

Everything else we offer you, you can find below!

• Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!
• Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.
• Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget and free access to our university library.
• Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.
• Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare (daycare not paid for by EUR).
• Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 4.100 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

Faculty / Institute / Central service
The Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communicationl (ESHCC) is part of Erasmus University Rotterdam. The school has three departments: History, Arts and Culture and Media and Communication.

ESHCC offers high quality education based on scientific research at the intersection of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Our ambitious Dutch and international students are educated in a stimulating learning environment. Upon graduation, they have acquired the knowledge, insight and skills to make important and inspiring contributions to an increasingly international society in which diversity plays a major role.

The faculty offers three bachelor's programs and three master's programs with a total of seven specializations, as well as two Erasmus Mundus programs and a research master. Most programs are internationally oriented and taught in English.

ESHCC hosts the research institute ERMeCHS (Erasmus Research Institute for Media, Culture, History & Society). Researchers at ERMeCHS are dedicated to conducting interdisciplinary research in the fields of media, communication, culture, history, and society. Our research agenda focuses on strengthening interdisciplinary research, increasing external funding, and enhancing our societal impact.

ESHCC is housed in the Van der Goot (M) Building on the Woudestein campus of Erasmus University Rotterdam. Approximately 2400 students study there, and there are 240 staff members.

ERMeCHS is the research institute of the Erasmus School of History, Culture, and Communication (ESHCC). Researchers at ERMeCHS carry out interdisciplinary research in the fields of media, communication, culture, arts, history, and society.

Department
More information about the Arts and Culture Studies department can be found here: https://www.eur.nl/en/eshcc/arts-and-culture-studies

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Stijn Reijnders via reijnders@eshcc.eur.nl.