PD Dr. Stefan B. Kirmse

Stefan B. Kirmse is the project head and principal investigator (PI) of JUSTIMINO. Kirmse’s research revolves around two distinct projects: The first, “Culture on Trial I: Russian Colonialism, Georgian Jews, and the Trans-local History of Blood Libel, 1850–1914”, analyzes a series of criminal trials in late imperial Russia that placed “culture” on trial, albeit indirectly. These cases revolved around accusations against non-Russian defendants of ritual crimes, highlighting the intersections of culture and legal narratives. By investigating notable cases such as the little-known Surami and Kutaisi blood libels in Georgia (1851–1853 and 1878–1880), in which Georgian Jews stood accused of murdering a Christian girl; the Multan ritual murder case in the Volga-Kama region (1893–1895); and the Beilis affair in Kiev (1911–1913), which caught national and international attention, this project will reveal how both the authorities and the accused leveraged the ideas of legality and justice in their accusations and defence.