iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Before getting on my commute back, I took in the view and the sun...

close up of a cappuccino and chairs, and Amiens cathedral in the background

Picture of a narrow waterway, with old wooden houses left and right , a bridge and a mill

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Course prep. Horrible working conditions. Need a break.

a cat walking on a desk in front of a laptop with an open presentation looking at the person working

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Aujourd'hui, rentrée à l'Université d'Amiens en tant que professeure des universités. Entre autres, je fus accueillie par la mascotte inofficielle du campus, ainsi que par cette vue très officielle depuis les salles de cours.

photo extrait d'un PV d'installation à mon nom de la part du président de l'université

un chat marron tigré assis par terre dans un couloir

une vue panoramique: au dessus des arbres, la cathédrale d'Amiens et de beaux nuages

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Another day at the BnF: How it started - how it's going.

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

When the National Library goes full resistance ... (Screenshot from their newsletter)

"On se demandait : où se mettre au frais ?
À la Bibliothèque, évidemment ! Vous commencerez par une visite guidée du jardin-forêt, puis ferez un tour en salle C où vous attend une sélection d'ouvrages sur le climat ou en salle D où ont été rassemblés des documents sur le droit et l'urgence climatique. Pour finir, dans l'exposition Cartes imaginaires. Inventer des mondes, vous profiterez d'un peu de fraîcheur tout en traquant les visages des vents disséminés au fil du parcours - comme le malicieux sirocco joufflu qui figure au coin d'un atlas nautique du XVIe siècle. Attention, il ne...

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Quitte ou double ? Stop ou encore ? C'est votre dernier mot ?

screenshot with the text "you're listed in first place for a certain job. Your wish:", then a drop down menu with 2 options: "wish nr 1" and "not interested".

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Today's challenge: buying cheese and chocolate, and surviving a 10 hours train ride back to German home. Eventually, you look up from your screen and... wow ! Just wow !

pic from the train: vineyards, slopes, a huge blue lake, and steep mountain range in the background

pic from the train: a wood timbered house with a lot of green around

a broad blue river, and behind Castle Aarburg castle, in the background majestic green mountains

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Friday, I went to Geneva to be in the "jury de soutenance" of a PhD candidate. She contacted me out of the blue in 2023, we had some conversations, and now I was honoured to be part of her viva. Waiting to get a green light for posting pics, but it all went veeeeeery well. Also Geneva, so classy!

swiss and geneva flags flying from official buildings

a three part street sign where the new name of the street is now a woman's, replacing a man's with the same family name. She was a distinguished official / politician)

swans in lake léman, majestic buildings in the background

view on the jet d'eau, in the foreground a piano, available for people to play

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Aujourd'hui, petit saut en Picardie: Amiens sous le soleil rayonnant, la cathédrale resplendissante et une sacré belle fac ! (bon ok, il faisait peut-être un peu trop chaud, mais bon, c'est un détail d'une journée fort chouette)

vue de la cathédrale d'Amiens au loin, des décorations colorées de rue devant

la flêche d'une église au loin se reflétant dans un canal avec des péniches

vue frontale du bâtiment E du campus Citadelle

vue des bastions plein de verdure, devant des vélos, panneau "Citadelle"

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

You cannot be in Thuringia without going to Jena! The university & land library (ThULB) runs research projects of Martin Luther & protestant reform's members' correspondance. Can you spot his name? They also hold an early modern prince's book collection, showcased in the modern library building.

close up of a page with messy hand writing. One can read: "Anno 1532" and "Martinus Luther".

Panoramic shot of the books, the so called Bibliotheca Electoralis, originally held in the ducal palace Wittenberg, and now in the University Library in Jena

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

The aim of the 2 terms' archival tour was to get students to know abt medieval textualities & the challenges of preservation, abt the slightly complicated German structure of administrative competences, as well as giving them information on the various career possibilities in the field. ✅

close up of a wood and metal binding of a large manuscript volume with an open metal clasp. From: UB Erfurt, Bib Amploniana.

interior details of the Mühlhausen archive with a wooden door frame and benches on the wall, with painting.

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

By the end of the term, we went way out into the Thuringian north, to the "imperial city" of Mühlhausen and their impressive Reichsstädtisches Archiv holding long term records. Basically everything is beautifully medieval (or tries to be), as we also got a city & walltour by a student group, wow!

open book on a table, very large, with densely written verso, and the title of the beginning of the recording for 1405 on the following recto.

a look onto a shelf with various colorfully bound codices from the 16th century.

panoramic view on the old city with timbered houses from a higher point on the city wall.

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Also, who wouldn't mind a bit of hands on diplomatics and deciphering with this charter, or a fragment of an Arthurian romance, a Perceval from the 13th century ? All thanks go to the director, Dr Andrea Wittkampf, for her time and welcome !

close up of a parchement with attached red wax seals, on some you can recognize figures.

close up of a hand written page on parchment in rhymes

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

So, in the spring term 2025, we kicked off the practical archival tour with the Diocesan archive in Erfurt. Not only did we get to see a few medieval gems the students chose, but also a whole tour behind the scenes, where they keep a late medieval book trunk (not used anymore, no worries).

very small bookled with recycled medieval parchment binding, letters in back and red.

incunabula (early print) in German with manually added floral decoration and golded letter.

close up of a long wooden trunk with a wooden lit and with gothic letters painted all over it.

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

My mobile phone, this smart archival device, notified me that exactly one year ago today, I kicked off my second class touring archives with students! As part of Erfurt's BA curriculum, the aim was to familiarise students w manuscript studies, paleography as well as nowadays' institutions & jobs.

Close up of a parchement page tighly written in latin, with a starting miniature styled as a confused looking doodle. From: Bib Amploniana, UB Erfurt.

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

While so many of my fellow medievalists gather at #IMC2025, I headed to Paulinzella, maybe the largest romanesque ruins in Thuringia. It was founded in the 12th century as a double monastery by noblewoman Paulina who travelled to Santiago de C. & Rome (twice), and died by falling from a horse...

wide winkle panorama inside the church's main nave in ruin

in the foreground lavender bushes, in the background the intact walls of the massive church's nave, but without window nor roof.

look through the nave's columns to see in the background a half timbered house attached to the medieval building. grass and stone in the ruin.

close up shot of me in bright colours and sun glasses sitting in front of the church's massive ruined walls and tower, looking afar.

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Als ich jung war (tm) versanken wir an Pfingsten auf Festivals im Regen & Schlamm, heutzutage viel älter stapfen wir halt nass unsere Wanderungen ab. Thüringens Wälder & Burgen sind auch im Dauerregen schön 🫠

Schmaler Weg zwischen hohen Felsenwänden in der Drachenschlucht, alles nass

Aussenansicht der Wartburg vor sehr grauem Himmel

Herzogstuhl Rieseneck ausnahmsweise in der Sonne: Fachwerkhaus auf gemauertem Turm

Schloss Leuchtenberg von unten, aus dem trockenen Auto

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

Wow, und schon ist die erste Woche der Vorlesungszeit hier in Erfurt schon wieder vorbei... Plus es schien dieses WE die Sonne und ich habe mal wieder meine Wanderschuhe herausgeholt und meine "Thüringischen Erkundungen" aufgenommen. Typisches Merkmal: Natur, Menschenleere, irgendwie Burgen...

Panoramabild einer grünen Weide mit 2 schwarz weiß gestreiften Kühen und im Hintergrund auf einer Anhöhe eine restaurierte Burg mit roten Dächern.

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

Prepping for my lecture series on "Power and rulership in the Middle Ages", and slowly regretting my choices. HOW to explain something like this 🧐

map from Putzger of the "Holy Roman Empire around 1400" showing the utter territorial scattering.

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Und auch wir in Erfurt freuen uns sehr über den Gastvortrag im Kolloquium der Mittelalterlichen Geschichte und des Historischen Seminars! Schön, dass Sie @kubon.bsky.social da sind!

Vortragsankündigung "Das rechte Mittelalter" von Sebastian Kubon heute

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

In case anyone wants to go for the all-public re-opening tomorrow... good luck y'all... (the diocese claims keeping visits free of charge, the reservation is to "fluidify" streams of expected visitors)

screenshot of reservation page with a disclaimer of its being over busy with a waiting line of 1 hour

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

On a personal note: When ND burned back in 2019, I was living in Paris but just attending a conference in Senegal. A Canadian radio show wanted to talk to me while everything was happening, but I refused. Weirdest moment ever. Anyway, here are pictures I took upon my return a few days later.

pic from april 2019, Notre Dame de Paris from outside, without roof

close up of a transcept from the outside with leftovers from burning on the stone and the open roof.

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Notre Dame de Paris has never been my favourite "medieval" building (maybe because it's not soooo much medieval after all), but here I am, sitting in Germany watching some livestream of another grand French festivity...

close up of a archbishop in a colourful dress and with a flashy staff knocks on the door of the cathedral

aerial wide angle shot inside the refurbished and very white cathedral interior

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 21/08/2024

After giving my talk I am now totally relaxed to enjoy a tour to the sacrosaint Fisher Library at amazing Robarts. Seeing the newly acquired Livre de la paix by Christine de Pizan and other medieval mss 🥰

medieval manuscript page with text, flower decoration and a large miniature showing a kneeling Christine de Pizan offering her book to a prince. Fancily dressed male attendance in the background

inside an octogonal concrete brutalist building walled full of book stacks and a large art deco lamp in the middle.

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Vanina Kopp @vkopp.bsky.social · 06/10/2023

In case you're wondering: it's the same person here and there, other accounts on different platforms.

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