My name is Jan Thiele, and I study the intellectual history of the Islamic world at the Institute of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Languages ​​and Cultures of the CSIC (Spanish National Council of Sciences). I discovered Arabic culture during a stay in Lebanon, between the end of high school and the beginning of my university studies. Upon returning to Germany, in the cosmopolitan city of Berlin, I decided to deepen my then-basic knowledge of Arabic and study the culture and history of this fascinating world. My studies took me, among other countries, to Yemen, whose history has informed much of my work, intrigued by its exceptional manuscript culture, now threatened by the tragic war the country is suffering.
But I don't live solely on manuscripts and books and need to balance the many hours in front of the computer. I do this by hiking or running through the mountains and participating in Contact Improvisation dance jams.