---
type: entity
title: Gerrit Walczak
tags: [art-historian, professor, researcher, person, art-history, former-staff]
related: [kilian-heck, cdfi, university-of-greifswald]
created: 2026-07-13
updated: 2026-07-13
sources: ["output_cdfi/cdfi_uni_greifswald_de_kunstgeschichte_ehemalige_pd_dr_gerrit_walczak.md", "output_cdfi/cdfi_uni_greifswald_de_kunstgeschichte_mitarbeitende_ehemalige_mitarbeitende.md"]
---

# Gerrit Walczak

**PD Dr. Gerrit Walczak** is an art historian and academic. He is a former staff member of the Art History department at the [[cdfi]] (Caspar-David-Friedrich-Institut) at the [[university-of-greifswald]], where he served as a substitute professor from October 2017 to September 2018, representing the chair of Prof. Dr. [[kilian-heck]].

## Academic Career
Walczak is currently affiliated with the **Institute for Art Science and Historical Urbanism** at **TU Berlin**. His academic trajectory includes:
- **Habilitation:** Completed at the University of Hamburg (2009) and later at TU Berlin (2014).
- **Teaching Experience:** Held positions or lecturing roles at the University of Cologne, FU Berlin, University of Hamburg, and Ruhr-University Bochum.
- **Editorial Work:** Editor of the *Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte* since January 2020.
- **Museum Collaboration:** Worked as a freelance collaborator for the painting collection of the **Hamburger Kunsthalle** (2000–2006).

## Research Focus
Walczak is an expert in **Artist Migration and Transfer Processes** and **Portrait Miniatures**. His research bridges historical art analysis with contemporary media studies:

### Historical Research
- **Artist Migration:** He specializes in the migration of artists and cultural transfer processes between the 17th and 19th centuries, notably in his work *Artistische Wanderer* (2019).
- **French Revolution:** He investigates the relationship between art and politics during the French Revolution, focusing on "Low Art," civic commitment, and the *Académie de France* in Rome.
- **Portrait Miniatures:** He researches the practices of the *Bildnisminiatur* (portrait miniature) from 1500 to 1900.

### Contemporary Media
- **War and Imagery:** He explores how conflict is represented in visual media, specifically analyzing "Gun Tape Footage" and the impact of WikiLeaks on the perception of "video wars."

## Selected Publications
- *Artistische Wanderer: Die Künstler(e)migranten der Französischen Revolution* (2019)
- *Bürgerkünstler: Künstler, Staat und Öffentlichkeit im Paris der Aufklärung und Revolution* (2015)
- *Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun: Eine Künstlerin in der Emigration* (2004)