Objective
The nineteenth century saw an unprecedented transfer of plants around the globe. In this context, the emergence of a specific form of plant cultivation – namely that of tropical and subtropical houseplants – has received remarkably little scholarly attention, despite the significant role that houseplants played in shaping modern European conceptions of nature. As important components of domestic environments, they heavily influenced Europe’s socio-environmental relationship with the rest of the world. This investigation will be the first comprehensive and comparative account to study this development.
The project takes a global history approach, looking multi-directionally at the interrelationships between cultural, social and material factors. It revalorizes intimate spaces as sites of global encounters and makes visible how plants contributed as driving forces to the emergence of new cultural practices. It has four principal aims: (1) To examine human–nature relations in modern Europe through the lens of domestic horticulture; (2) To demonstrate how the complex relationship between humans and plants is shaped by both technological and natural forces; (3) To explore how the material and cultural flows between Europe and the wider world shaped the globalization of Europe itself; (4) To illuminate the historical roots of human estrangement from nature and to explore its enduring relevance for contemporary environmental and cultural debates.
Prompted by the global climate and biodiversity crisis, there is a growing awareness that human life on this planet is only possible thanks to plants. Artists, writers and scientists are increasingly dealing with their role and function. Museum exhibitions on human-plant entanglements are drawing large crowds, and the general public engages on social media with “green interiors”. This project will provide a robust historic grounding to current concerns and uncover the hidden histories of our “green housemates”.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture horticulture
- social sciences other social sciences development studies development theories global development studies globalization
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2026-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
42119 Wuppertal
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.