Welcome to the Cluster of Excellence at the
Bonn Center for Dependency & Slavery Studies
"Beyond Slavery and Freedom:
Asymmetrical Dependencies in Pre-Modern Societies"
We are a research cluster within the framework of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments.
We investigate profound social dependencies such as slavery, serfdom, debt bondage, and other forms of permanent dependency across epochs, regions and cultures.
Our focus lies "beyond slavery and freedom", i.e. we aim to overcome the binary opposition of "free" and "unfree".
Instead, we propose the new key concept of "asymmetrical dependency" to explore all forms of bondages across time and space.
Reading & Discussion with Anne Haeming
Video out now!
The Life of Wilhelm Joest
Watch our short clip about the reading and discussion with Anne Haeming as part of our (UN)ABHÄNGIGE ANSICHTEN series from 15 February 2024.
Anne Haeming was queried on the challenges of writing about an imperial actor like Wilhelm Joest from today's perspective.
The documentary podcast series by BCDSS Research Group Leader Dr. Raquel Razente Sirotti and her PhD Researchers Karolyne Mendes Mendonça Moreira and Mauro Armando Adelino Manhanguele from the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory (MPILHLT) in Frankfurt started last week.
Our PhD researcher has won the 2024 Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award!
Roundtable Discussion at Volkshochschule Bonn in cooperation with BCDSS, BICC, IISG, ZEF
The most comprehensive collection of texts on Strong Asymmetrical Dependency Studies.
Lukas Wissel and Jutta Wimmler will be speaking in Klaus Weber and Andreas Bähr's research colloquium at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) on November 26th.
Dr. Jutta Wimmler will join Professor Kim Siebenhüner's Colloquium at the University of Jena for a lecture on January 25th, 2025.
Call for Papers & Workshop
We are delighted to announce the opening of our BCDSS Exhibition "Verstrickt und Verwoben: Texturen der Abhängigkeit"/"Enmeshed and Entwined: Fabrics of Dependency" on Tuesday, 29 October 2024, at 18:00 at the Bonn University and State Library (ULB).
The Launch is followed by a Semester Kick-off Reception at the BCDSS (Niebuhrstr. 5) at 19:30. Everyone is welcome!
Please note: registration for both parts of the event is required by 22 October (link below) as there is only limited space!
Contact Us
Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS)
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Managing Director: Jeannine Bischoff
Email: dependency@uni-bonn.de
Press and PR Manager: Cécile Jeblawei
Email: pr@dependency.uni-bonn.de
Address
University of Bonn
Niebuhrstraße 5
53113 Bonn
BCDSS Fellowship Programs
Coordination: Sarah Dusend
Email: researchandstudy@dependency.uni-bonn.de
Deputy: Laura Hartmann
Email: l.hartmann@dependency.uni-bonn.de
Address
University of Bonn
Heussallee 18–24
53113 Bonn