Dr. Austin Collins

I am a historian of early modern European history, with a specialisation in urban, religious, and spatial approaches. My research investigates how monarchical and religious influence interacted with civic authority within urban spaces during the early French Wars of Religion. My current book project, based on my doctoral dissertation and provisionally entitled ‘‘La ville eut l’éphémère honneur d’être comme la capitale du Royaume': A Spatial History of Charles IX’s Royal Tour of France, 1564–1566 (Angoulême, Lyon, Sens)’, explores how royal, civic, and religious actors utilized different urban spaces in France to project their own authority and promote religious toleration and co-existence through royal entrances amid religious warfare. My research incorporates primary source material such as festival books, financial records, correspondences, city council minutes, and maps. Prior to Tübingen, I have taught early modern European seminars at Durham University.

• Peer Reviewed Article: ‘Angoulême: Constructing a Royal Connection on the Forgotten Periphery’ in Religion and Urbanity Online (forthcoming) (https://doi.org/10.1515/urbrel)

• Book Review: Kelly Digby Peebles and Gabriella Scarlatta (eds.), Representing the Life and Legacy of Renée de France: From Fille de France to Dowager Duchesse (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021) in Royal Studies Journal 9, no. 2 (2022) (https://doi.org/10.21039/rsj.362)

• Podcast: UrbRel podcasts: Corinna Riva & Austin Collins for the KFG ‘Religion & Urbanity: Reciprocal Formations’ Podcast (October 2022) (https://urbrel.hypotheses.org/3435)

• Workshop Report: Typologising Cities: Critical Reflections Workshop for the KFG ‘Religion & Urbanity: Reciprocal Formations’ Workshop (May 2022) (https://www.hsozkult.de/conferencereport/id/fdkn-128447)

• Blog Post: ‘Finally, a Long-Awaited Research Trip to France!’ for the KFG ‘Religion & Urbanity: Reciprocal Formations’ Blog (April 2022) (https://urbrel.hypotheses.org/2541)

• Workshop Report: Guides to Urbanity Workshop for the KFG ‘Religion & Urbanity: Reciprocal Formations’ Workshop (January 2021) (https://www.hsozkult.de/conferencereport/id/fdkn-127461)