Nils Bühler – Personal Website
I am Nils Bühler, a media culture scholar researching at the intersection of media, history, and discourse theory. I completed my PhD with a media history dissertation at the University of Cologne in 2025. I also develop knowledge management workflows for researchers.
On this website, I present my research and publications and my CV. I also share insights about digital workflows for research, which I developed during my doctoral work and have since expanded into flexible knowledge management systems.
Research Focus
Media History and Media Control
My dissertation The State Against the Seductive Game (2025, summa cum laude) examines state control of coin-operated and computer games in Germany from the German Empire to the Federal Republic. The work shows how discourses about populations in need of protection and temptations to be warded off shaped the legal development of game prohibitions and licensing systems. More about my dissertation →
Digital Methods in Historical Research
I work with Python-based research and analysis of historical sources, from OCR post-processing to computer-assisted discourse analysis. Documentation and publications are forthcoming.
Digital Workflows and Personal Knowledge Management for Researchers
As a 'second pillar' of my work and due to personal passion, I develop digital workflows for researchers. From literature research and management to emergent networked note databases, there are numerous tools that can make life easier and richer for researchers. I search for good, practical paths through the thicket of possibilities, with and without AI. I also offer customized workshops! For an initial overview of my digital workflows →
Game Studies
I originally come from Game Studies, which led to my interest in the cultural and legal history of digital games. Most of my previous publications are situated in Game Studies. More about my publications →
Contact & Collaborations
I am open to research collaborations, speaking invitations, and workshop bookings. You can best reach me via email.
I am a member of the Gesellschaft für Medienwissenschaften (GfM), the Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlands (VHD), and the Arbeitskreis Geisteswissenschaften und Digitale Spiele.
Latest Blog Posts
Here I share updates from my research, workshops, and other activities. Check out the latest blog entries.
Theses and Long Form Writing with Markdown
Many people are currently looking for alternatives to Microsoft Office Word. The most obvious option seems to be LibreOffice Writer – it does almost the same thing, but without the unnecessary (and surveillance-oriented) features and the licensing constraints of Word. For creating and formatting documents, adding citations, and inserting images, LibreOffice Writer is just as suitable as Microsoft's software. However, if you're already considering switching, why not also rethink your workflow? In this post, I want to present an alternative: Writing long form texts such as academic theses with the Markdown editor Zettlr.
Article in AKGWDS Jubilee Volume
The Working Group on Humanities Research and Digital Games (Arbeitskreis Geisteswissenschaften und Digitale Spiele, AKGWDS) has turned 10 years old and will release a jubilee volume to mark this occasion. The volume looks back at the group's most important topics of debate. I was invited to reflect on the relationship between history and digital games in these debates: What role did history in games, the history of games, and the history of game contexts play? The article is now available as an article in the AKGWDS blog.
Linux in the Humanities
I've been using Linux exclusively for about four years now. At first, this sometimes caused confusion, but things have changed. People now often ask me if I'm using Linux and how that is working out for me. Since the discussion around digital sovereignty has gained momentum, interest has only grown. In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing my experiences to give others a better sense of what switching to Linux entails. This post is a brief overview to hit things off.