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Niklas Steinke

Porträtfoto: Niklas Steinke NS

M.A. Niklas Steinke WiMi

Research assistant Digitale Geographie

Mail: niklas.steinke@geo.uni-halle.de Raum: H4 R.4.26 Sprechzeiten: Wed 10-11 a.m. (by appointment)(in der vorlesungsfreien Zeit nur nach Vereinbarung)

Niklas Steinke researches digital infrastructures, with a focus on data centers, and explores their social, spatial, and political impacts within broader processes of urban transformation.

Schwerpunkte:

Critical urban studies, data centres, infrastructures, urban temporality, qualitative methods, border regimes

Forschung

please read my bio & CV in english

Vita

Since 10/2025
Research Associate, Digital Geography Research Group, Institute of Geosciences and Geography, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

2021–2025
M.A. in Historical Urban Studies, Technical University of Berlin
Thesis: Extractive Urban Landscapes: On the Expansion of Data Centers in Berlin and the Transformation of Urban Infrastructures (co-authored with F. Halfar, awarded the Balg-Mächler Prize 2025)

09–12/2019
Study Abroad, University of Connecticut School of Law

2017–2021
B.A. in Politics and Law, University of Münster
Theoretical thesis on truth-telling in the work of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler

Lehre

Qualitative Methods for Geographers. Fundamentals and Case Studies in Urban Geography. Winter Semester 2025/26

Vorträge

  • “Extractive Urban Landscapes. The Data Center Expansion in Berlin and the Transformation of Urban Infrastructures.“ (with F. Halfar) | The City Lab Berlin by Norwhich University | 11/2025
  • „The Data Center Expansion in Berlin and its Impacts on Urban Energy Infrastructures“ (with F. Halfar)| Urban Management Program, TU Berlin | 11/2025
  • „Rechner und Ressourcen. Die Expansion von Rechenzentren und ihre Folgen für Berlin“ (gemeinsam mit F. Halfar). | Im Rahmen von: Die Knäste der Katzenbilder. Wie Serverzentren die Ressourcen der Region Berlin-Brandenburg auffressen. Interlause Berlin, Talk Series on Urban Politics | 07/2025
  • “Digital Infrastructures. How Data Centers are transforming Berlin” (with F. Halfar) | CMS Lecture Series, Center for Metropolitan Studies, TU Berlin | 06/2025
  • “Extractive urban landscapes. Data Center expansion in Berlin and the transformation of urban infrastructures” (with F. Halfar) | Berlin International University of Applied Sciences | 05/2025
  • “From Cloud to Ground: Negotiating Space and Resources for Hyper-Scale Data Centers in Berlin” (with F. Halfar) | Urban Speculations Conference, University of Lüneburg | 02/2025
  • „Power and Pause. Structures and Strategies of Waiting in the Urban“ | In the Web of Time: Urban Temporalities as Scholarly Concepts – 2023 Student Conference at the Center for Metropolitan Studies, TU Berlin | 07/2023