Sophia Abplanalp

Porträt von Sophia Abplanalp

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Academia

 

Sophia Abplanalp holds a Master’s degree in Art History from the University of Vienna, where she specialized in Islamic Art History, and an MLitt in Art History from the University of St Andrews, Scotland. In 2025, she enrolled in the doctoral program of the University of Vienna, and is currently working on her dissertation under the supervision of Prof. Noémie Etienne.

Ms. Abplanalp served as a tutor and STEOP Assistant at the Department of Art History at the University of Vienna between 2016 and 2023, where she contributed to both undergraduate teaching and course development. From 2020 to 2023, she was a researcher in the international COST Action: Islamic Legacy: Narratives East, West, South, North of the Mediterranean (1350-1750), where she contributed to a range of interdisciplinary projects, before being appointed Scientific Communication Coordinator in 2022 during which she played a pivotal role in the development of the MOOC Islamic Legacy in Europe. In recognition of her academic excellence and promising research, she was awarded the Grant for Projects by Young Scholars of The Society of Turkic, Ottoman and Turkish Studies (GTOT) in 2024, which enabled her to conduct field research on Ottoman objects preserved in an Austrian noble collection. Additionally, Ms. Abplanalp has published various aspects of her research and regularly presents her findings at conferences, for instance at the UCLA, Universität Wien, UNED Madrid or Freie Universität Berlin.

Research interests
Her scholarly interest lies in the complex dynamics of transcultural exchange between the Ottoman and Habsburg Empires, with a particular emphasis on the collection, reception, and semiotic significance of Ottoman objects in European contexts.

Current research project
Her doctoral dissertation investigates the presence of Ottoman artifacts within Habsburg-Austrian aristocratic collections, analyzing their functions, modes of display, and perception. A central aspect of her research is the study of the so-called Türkenbeute – both as a theoretical construct and as a materially and symbolically charged corpus of objects – considering its ideological implications within early modern narratives of power, heritage, and representation. By analyzing the reuse, reception, and display of Ottoman objects between 1683 and 1800, the research investigates how these artifacts contributed to the construction of aristocratic identity, the image of the "Other" as well as different modes of memory. The research should also demonstrate how theories from more recent disciplines – such as cultural heritage studies, postcolonial studies, and memory studies – can offer valuable frameworks for its analysis. In this way, the aim is to cultivate a refined understanding of the role of Türkenbeute in shaping historical perceptions of the Ottoman Empire and the self-understanding of European aristocracy. The dissertation also provides a valuable contribution to the study of Ottoman craftsmanship and weaponry, particularly in terms of object dating and identification, which can inform the future study especially of Ottoman militaria in public and private collections, many of which, like those of Austrian aristocratic holdings, have yet to be thoroughly cataloged and studies in detail.

Selected publications

  • “‘Turkish Booty’ as a Means of Self-Presentation in Austrian Noble Collections in the 18th Century”, in: Landessammlungen Niederösterreich & University of Continuing Education Krems, The Heritage of Aristocratic and Monastic Culture. Heritage Science from a Collection Science Perspective (Conference Proceedings), 2025.
  • With Rubén González Cuerva and Evrim Türkçelik, “The Habsburgs and the Different Corners of Islam in Early Modern Europe”, in: Islamic Legacy in Europe between 1350 and 1750, ed. Antonio Urquízar Herrera, Borja Franco Llopis and Elena Paulino Molina, Brill 2025.
  • “The Luminosity of Ilkhanid Lustre Tiles – Reconstruction of the Lustre Tile Decoration of the Shrine of Imamzade Yahya Between Aesthetics and Spirituality”, in: Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Religions- und Kulturgeschichte - Materielle Kultur des Religiösen, ed. Franziska Metzger, forthcoming.
  • “Self-Perception and Perception of the Other: Turcica in Tournaments during the 16th Century in the German-speaking World”, in: Hit and Stab - Tournaments of the 15th and 16th Century (Conference Proceedings), ed. Wolfgang Augustyn, Raphael Beuing, 2024. 

Selected Conferences

  • “‘Turkish booty’ as a means of self-presentation in Austrian noble collections in the 18th century”, Das Erbe der Adels- und Klosterkultur, University for Continuing Education Krems, Sept. 2024.
  • "1 Object, 100 Faces: Decoding and Recoding Ottoman Material Heritage in Eastern and Central Europe", Thinking with Materiality in the Early Global World, MEMSA Graduate Student Conference, UCLA, Sept. 2024.
  • "The Afterlives of the „Türkenbeute“ of the 2nd Siege of Vienna in Habsburg-Austrian Noble Collections (1683-1800)", 4th Turkologentag, Universität Wien, Sept. 2023.
  • "Making the lost visible: The Luster Tile Decoration of the Shrine of Imamzadeh Yahya in Varamin", 34. Deutscher Orientalistentag/ Section: Material Culture, Freie Universität Berlin, Sept. 2022.