H. Curt ’56 and Patricia S. ’57 Hege Professor of History Tim Kircher recently co-organized an international workshop on the work and influence of the Renaissance poet and humanist Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374). The workshop, "Affects and Community-Formation in the Petrarchan World," was held March 11 and 12 through the offices of the Italian Center at the Frei Universität Berlin.

Tim collaborated with colleagues Bernhard Huss in Berlin and Gur Zak from Hebrew University in bringing together scholars for the event. His paper was entitled, “Petrarch’s Poetic Conscience: Time, Truth, and Community.” Tim will use a two-month research fellowship this summer at the Freie Universität to explore Petrarch’s letter-writing and its influence.