Eldorado - Repository of the TU Dortmund
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Recent Submissions
Violence and Grief in Ahmed Saadawi’s Frankenstein in Baghdad
(2024) Raheem, Lailan; Sedlmayr, Gerold; Danneil, Sandra
This thesis examines the portrayal of violence and grief in Ahmed Sa’adawi’s Frankenstein in Baghdad (2013) and explores their implications in post-invasion Iraq. Tracing Iraq’s history throughout the past four decades shows that one cannot skip the topics of war, death, and loss. Thus, this novel reflects a broader trend among Iraqi authors who use literature to give a voice to the silenced and forgotten victims of war. Sa’adawi’s work, blending elements of horror, magical realism, and political satire, stands out as one of the few Iraqi works that successfully reached Western audiences and received international acclaim, partly because of its intriguing title, which evokes Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
Sa’adawi’s Frankensteinian figure is a stitched-up corpse that becomes inhabited by a lost soul. Driven by vengeance on behalf of the previous owners of his body parts, he commits a series of crimes that stir the media. These events take place two years after the American invasion, during the onset of a brutal sectarian war. This research investigates how this figure and other characters, such as Hadi and Elishva, navigate grief and violence and the extent to which the “Whatsitname” or Shisma is a manifestation of collective grief, especially within the historical context of Iraq. In addition, it offers a transcultural analysis that makes use of historical, political, literary, and cultural theoretical perspectives to examine the interconnection between grief and violence by drawing on theories by Judith Butler, Giorgio Agamben, and Achille Mbembe, and others. For instance, Butler’s concepts of grievability and precariousness will be applied to examine which lives are deemed mournable in the context of war. Agamben’s notion of “bare life” will frame the analysis of characters existing in a state of exception, while Mbembe’s work on necropolitics will contextualise the pervasive conflict in Iraq. This theoretical background will be enhanced by incorporating secondary literature, which will provide additional depth to the analysis.
This comprehensive study aims to contribute to the understanding of contemporary Iraqi literature and its role in highlighting the aftermath of prolonged conflict, while also engaging with broader theoretical discussions on grief and violence in post-colonial contexts. The research also seeks to shed light on the cyclical nature of violence portrayed in the novel and its influence in shaping the socio-political reality after several years of conflict.
Amtliche Mitteilungen der Technischen Universität Dortmund Nr. 7
(Technische Universität Dortmund, 2025-03-13)
Leveraging open source land use and land cover data for urban and regional planning in transforming areas
(2024-11-26) Klopfer, Florian; Gruehn, Dietwald
A steadily growing repository of publicly available land use and land cover (LULC) data holds great potential for addressing pressing challenges, e.g., associated with climate change or profound societal and economic transformations. However, significant portions of this data remain underutilised. This article exemplifies the practical applicability of harnessing such data for advancing spatial planning within the Rhineland mining area, Germany – a region currently undergoing significant structural shifts induced by the upcoming coal phase-out. The study features a three-pronged approach, integrating and overlaying numerous diverse datasets. First, we conduct a comprehensive assessment of ecosystem services (ES) in the region (1). Moreover, we present an evaluation of areas (un)suitable for future settlement development based on multiple constraints (2). Finally, we offer community-level analyses assessing the most suitable future land use focus, considering current LULC and ES information presenting three primary options: settlement, agriculture and natural/recreation (3). Findings are conveyed at various levels of spatial and informational granularity. We show spatially differentiated patterns of combined ES pronunciation, constraints for settlement development, and the suitability for the mentioned land use categories being meaningful in both the detailed and the reduced representation. This accommodates distinct planning requirements and audiences, spanning from regional to urban land use planning and from informing laypersons to providing knowledge to planning professionals. The approach possesses wide-ranging applicability and adaptability. It should encourage practitioners/planners to explore untapped potentials within open data for shaping planning processes and informing stakeholders. Primary benefits include objectifying and optimising planning processes while promoting their acceptance.
Strong and tough double network hydrogels based on poly(2-oxazoline) and polyacrylates
(2025) Benitez-Duif, Paola Andrea; Tiller, Jörg C.; Vogt, Dieter
Double network hydrogels (DNHs) are known for their exceptional stiffness, toughness, and tunable characteristics, making them valuable for applications in membrane technology, energy storage, and, of significant importance, in biomedicine. These materials show great potential for replicating complex biomaterials such as cartilage. This work presents, for the first time, the development of DNHs based on poly(2-oxazoline) as the primary network and various polyacrylates as the secondary network, resulting in materials with remarkable toughness. The thesis is structured into three main parts, each addressing different features and challenges involved in developing these DNHs.
The first section focuses on the synthesis and optimization of DNHs using poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), yielding materials with biomechanical properties comparable to cartilage, including high compressive strength and durability under physiological conditions. The second section further explores the potential of POx-based DNHs by incorporating various polyacrylates as secondary networks. This part emphasizes the investigation of interactions, functional groups, and the structural influence of the networks involved on the mechanical performance of the resulting hydrogels, achieving superior mechanical properties compared to conventional DNHs composed solely of polyacrylate networks.
Additionally, the thesis addresses the critical challenge of maintaining hydrogel functionality across a wide pH range, essential for implantable materials exposed to varying tissue environments and inflammatory responses. A novel DNH formulation, comprising poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) and poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide) P(AA-co-AAm), is developed, demonstrating remarkable stability and mechanical integrity across pH levels from 3.4 to 10.5.
Through extensive mechanical testing, this research highlights the robustness and versatility of these advanced DNHs, positioning them as strong candidates for use in tissue regeneration, implants, and other biomedical applications where durability and adaptability are crucial. This work contributes significantly to the understanding and application of DNHs in complex physiological environments.
Development of subjective well-being in adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
(2025-01-30) Eckert, Helene; Paschke, Patrick; Wirthwein, Linda; Steinmayr, Ricarda
Previous studies have already revealed detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on school students’ subjective well-being (SWB). However, there is a lack of studies examining the development of various facets of SWB such as life satisfaction, mood as well as domain satisfactions regarding peers, family, or school before and during the pandemic among adolescents longitudinally. Furthermore, the present study aims to shed further light on various moderators such as gender, age, migration background and socioeconomic status. Data from N = 207 students (Grade 5 to 9) from two German schools were assessed on four measurement time points, three before and one after the onset of the pandemic. Piecewise latent growth curve models with three time slopes were conducted to investigate the development of SWB and its moderators. They showed significant declines in general mood and domain-specific satisfaction with family, peers and school before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, only satisfaction with family decreased significantly. Among the moderators, especially the socioeconomic status indicated interindividual differences in the variation of different SWB facets.