About the Decadence Research Centre

Decadence has different meanings depending on context. The moral conception of decadence relates mainly to personal behaviour (hedonism, over-indulgence, ‘sinfulness’, etc.); the historical conception focuses on imperial decline (Rome is not the only empire to have ‘fallen’); the philosophical conception involves questions of both morality and history (as in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche); the social conception considers the moral, historical, and philosophical issues that arise with the development of modernity in the nineteenth century (growth of cities, technological progress, emergence of the bourgeoisie, etc.); the cultural conception includes literary and artistic responses to all of the foregoing moral, historical, philosophical, and social developments.

Such responses may have begun in the nineteenth century with seminal decadent figures like Charles Baudelaire and Oscar Wilde, but cultures of decadence continue  – in one form or another  – to this day. 

Research Community

The Decadence Research Centre unites an international community of scholars and is a platform for events, international research collaborations, and funding bids. We run an exciting schedule of events each year, ranging from academic conferences and seminars to salon-style talks and club nights.   

The Centre is part of DECADOCS, the first doctoral network dedicated to decadence studies, addressing underexplored fields such as architecture, fashion, food, tourism, and immersive media. The programme offers tailored intersectoral training in collaboration with museums, archives, galleries, and other partners, reinforcing its scientific and social impact.