Stefan Heidemann (born 1961 in VersmoldinWestphalia) is a German orientalistatHamburg University, Hamburg.
Islamic studies including Islamic Art and economicsinRegensburg, Berlin, Damascus and Cairo 1982–1993; Ph.D. in Islamic studies 1993 at Free University Berlin; Graduate seminar of the American Numismatic Society New York, 1993; Wissenschaftlicher Assistent (assistant professor) 1994–2001 at Jena University; Habilitation 2001 at Jena University; visiting Professor 2001–2003 at University of Leipzig; Oberassistent (senior assistant professor) 2002–2004 at Jena University; 2007-2008 Fellowship of the Aga Khan-Program of Islamic Architecture at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts; 2008 Fellowship at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK; 2004–2010 Hochschuldozent (C2 professorship) at Jena University. During his time at Jena University he co-ordinated the 'Oriental Coin Cabinet' and the 'Alphons-Stübel Collection of Middle Eastern Photographs (1850–1890)'.
2009–2011 he taught as Professor of Islamic History and Artistic and Material Culture at the Bard Graduate CenterinNew York City and between 2010 and 2011 he served as Associate Curator of Islamic ArtatThe Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since 2011 he teaches as Full Professor of Islamic studies at Hamburg University and serves since 2012 as editor-in-chief of the journal Der Islam. He coordinates the 'Webinar Initiative in Islamic Material Culture.[1]
His studies focus on political and economic history, material culture and numismatics of the Islamic World from Mongoliatonorthern Africa in the pre-modern period. Historical studies focus in their majority on Syria and northern Mesopotamia from the 7th to the 16th century. Earlier studies include contemporary economic and development policies.
Co-operation with several archaeological missions especially in Syria among them at the citadels in Aleppo, Damascus and Masyaf, urban sites such as Raqqa, and Kharab Sayyar, but also in Portugal, Mongolia, and Afghanistan Balkh.
In particular he pursues four major research projects:
Publications on development policy, medieval Islamic history, history of Middle Eastern studies, Islamic numismatics, material culture, and archaeology.