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News from the BCDSS
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News
New Publication in DSS Series - Volume 21 Out Now!
We're delighted to share the publication of Studies on Slavery in Brazilian and African History and Literature, edited by University of Bonn Ambassador and Affiliated Researcher Roberto Hofmeister Pich and BCDSS Speaker Stephan Conermann.
New Publication: Special Issue of Atlantic Studies
We are proud to announce a new publication by BCDSS Professor and Co-speaker, Pia Wiegmink.
Sciences and the Divine
Dies Academicus event led by the Rev. David Smith and Prof. Dr. Pia Wiegmink.Please note the event will be held in German.
Call for Applications
The Ottoman Slavery Working Group invites submissions for the conference "Ottoman Slaveries and Typologies of Unfreedom."
New Publication in DSS Series by Reinhard Zöllner
We are pleased to announce the publication of Slavery and Servile Societies in Korean History: The Hidden Background of Modern Korea (volume 26 in our Dependency and Slavery Studies Series with De Gruyter) by BCDSS Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Reinhard Zöllner.
Dies Academicus Lecture by Christian Mader and Philip Atta Mensah
As part of the Dies academicus at the University of Bonn, Christian Mader Researcher and Coordinator of the Research Group The Archaeology of Dependency (ArchDepth): Resources, Power and Status Differentiation and Philip Atta Mensah, master student at the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies, will talk about whether slavery and colonialism have a tangible, material signature that can still be perceived today. Focusing on Fort William in Ghana, an important site in the British slave trade, the lecture will introduce the first results of a collaborative, interdisciplinary research project. By combining material culture studies, digital archaeology, historical research, community engagement, and sensory ethnography, the project reinterprets European forts on the West African coast as lasting architectures of exploitation that continue to influence postcolonial societies.
Wednesday, 03.December 2025
02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
Uni Main BuildingHörsaal IV
Time is of the essence: temporal (in)justice, extractivisms, and dispossessions in the “green transition"
As part of Pollen conference 2026, the Panel P102 Time is of the essence: temporal (in)justice, extractivisms, and dispossessions in the ‘green transition, invites researchers to explore how changing temporalities are central to extractive and renewable-energy projects. The panel will select 5-8 papers for oral presentation, with a view to a subsequent special journal issue. The call for contributions is open now; the deadline for submitting a paper proposal is 5 December 2025.
The conference will take place in Barcelona, Spain, from 29 June to 3 July 2026
Volume 24 of the DSS Series is out now: New Publication by Zeynep Y. Gökçe and Jennifer Leetsch
Congratulations to BCDSS PhD Researcher Zeynep Y. Gökçe and Junior Professor and BCDSS Alumna Jennifer Leetsch, editors of the new publication Ecological Interdependencies: Strong Asymmetrical Relations and More-than-Human Worlds in our DSS Series with De Gruyter.
New Article by Research Group Leader Sinah Kloß
Congratulations to BCDSS Researcher and Coordinator of Research Group "Marking Power: Embodied Dependencies, Haptic Regimes and Body Modification," Sinah Kloß on the publication of her new article, entitled “Hair as Sensory Skin: Sensitive Bodies, Ritual Shaving, and the Maintenance of Bodily Boundaries in Hindu Suriname,” recently released in the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute.
Film Screening and Discussion: Sugar Island
This November, the WHO'S GOT THE POWER film and discussion series continues in collaboration with the Förderverein Filmkultur at Kino in der Brotfabrik in Bonn. In addition, Sugar Island is also part of this year's Cinescuela Film Festival.On 6 November 2025 at 19:00, we will be screening and discussing Sugar Island, a hybrid documentary fiction film by Johanné Gómez Terrero (Dominican Republic/Spain, 2024, 91 min). Sugar Island explores identity, memory, and the enduring legacies of colonialism — weaving together family struggles, Afro-Dominican spirituality, and collective resistance against exploitation.
Director Johanné Gómez Terrero has kindly agreed to send us a video greeting to offer some food for thought for our post-screening discussion.
New DSS Publication by Nina Schneider
On Child Labour Opponents and Their Campaigns in the Americas by Dr. Nina Schneider.
Sinah Kloß Appointed Associate Editor of Journal 'Material Religion'
We are delighted to announce that Dr. Sinah Kloß, BCDSS Researcher and Coordinator of the Research Group “Marking Power: Embodied Dependencies, Haptic Regimes and Body Modification,” has joined the editorial board of the peer-reviewed journal Material Religion: The Journal of Objects, Art and Belief (Taylor & Francis) as Associate Editor.
CfP: Pregnancy, Birth, and (Non)Parenthood: Critical Approaches to Reproduction
The one-day workshop will take place on Friday, May 8, 2026, at the University of Bonn and is organized by the "ReCAP - Reproduction: Critical Approaches and Perspectives on Pregnancy, Birth, and (Non)Parenthood " network, including Sinah Kloß (Bonn), Luvena Kopp (Bonn), Christina Lammer (Duisburg-Essen), Isabel Kalous (Erlangen-Nuremberg), and Lisa Krall (Cologne).
Gerda Henkel Funding for New Project with Involvement of BCDSS
A new international research project has been launched with the involvement of Dr. Eva Marie Lehner and Julia Schmidt from the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS). The project investigates how bureaucratic classifications shaped social hierarchies in southern Africa during the colonial period. The collaborative project titled "Economies of Trust: Digital Infrastructure on the Urban Poor in the Cape Colony" is receiving €253,000 of funding from the Gerda Henkel Foundation. An additional subproject at the BCDSS examines the social networks of single women, further contributing to a deeper understanding of dependency and social relations in colonial contexts.
Congratulations to Bernardo Bonifácio Ferreira on his research visit to the LCFI!
BCDSS Visiting Researcher / DAAD Fellow (DAAD/CDEA) Bernardo Bonifácio Ferreira, has been appointed as a Postgraduate Visiting Student at the renowned Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (LCFI) at the University of Cambridge.
The three-month research visit, scheduled for the Michaelmas Term in October–December 2026, will focus on the project "Informational Self-Determination and Algorithmic Justice: A Comparative Study between Brazil and the United Kingdom." This achievement highlights the interdisciplinary framework to critical contemporary issues of structural dependency and technological power.
Podiumsdiskussion "Ans Licht gebracht – Herausforderungen und Chancen von Missionssammlungen"
Am Donnerstag, 23. Oktober 2025, ab 19 Uhr, findet die Podiumsdiskussion "Ans Licht gebracht – Herausforderungen und Chancen von Missionssammlungen" im Kölner VHS-Forum statt. Der Eintritt ist frei.
Die Podiumsdiskussion findet im Rahmen der Ausstellung "Missionssammlungen ausgepackt" des Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Köln statt.
Das Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum ist offizieller Kooperationspartner des BCDSS. Mehr Informationen zu gemeinsamen Projekten sind hier zu finden.
New Article by Christian Mader
We are happy to congratulate BCDSS researcher and coordinator of the research group 'The Archaeology of Dependency (ArchDepth): Resources, Power and Status Differentiation', Christian Mader, on the publication of his new article in the Journal of Archaeological Science, titled "Points, patterns, and predictions in archaeological settlement data: site-environment relationships of Paracas and Nasca communities in the Peruvian Andes".
With Prof. Dr. Kristina Großmann
Palm oil can be found in nearly half of all supermarket products and is also used as a biofuel. Indonesia and Malaysia supply about 80 % of the world’s demand. Although promoted as a tool for reducing CO₂ emissions, palm oil cultivation drives deforestation, biodiversity loss, and deep social inequalities in Southeast Asia.
In her lecture “Dilemma: Palm Oil!”, BCDSS investigator Kristina Großmann discusses whether certification programs and the concept of a “Just Transition” can help create fairer and more sustainable palm oil production systems.
🗓 4 November 2025 · 18:00–19:30📍 Altes Rathaus, Gobelinsaal, Bonn🗣 Language: German
Socare Conference Keynote by Sinah Kloß: "Spectral Bodies, Subtle Power"
We are delighted to share that BCDSS Research Group Leader Sinah Kloß has been invited as one of three keynote speakers at the upcoming Socare Conference titled "Women in the Caribbean: Fragmentations – Intersections – Entanglements," taking place from October 16–18, 2025, at the Ibero-American Institute PK in Berlin. She will be joined by distinguished scholars Jamaica Kincaid (Harvard University) and Nadia Ellis (University of California, Berkeley).
Film screening & public talk of "Enmeshed and Entwined: Fabrics of Dependency" exhibition
Join us on 8 October 2025 at the Global Heritage Lab (GHL):5-7 pm: Film Screening and Public Talkfrom 7 pm: Reception / Finissage of the “Enmeshed and Entwined – Fabrics of Dependency” exhibition
CfA: Heinz Heinen Fellowships 2026/2027
The Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies is now accepting applications for the Heinz Heinen Fellowship for the academic year 2026/2027.
The fellowships are open to doctoral fellows, postdoctoral researchers, senior scholars, and alternative knowledge producers (journalists, artists, curators, etc.). Fellowships last between 6–12 months and include stipends, travel support, accommodation allowances, and a workspace at the BCDSS.
For this cycle, the focus is on the Methods Lab, a collaborative platform dedicated to developing and critically reflecting on methods to study Strong Asymmetrical Dependencies (SADs) such as slavery, serfdom, and debt bondage. Researchers are encouraged to bring innovative, interdisciplinary, and even experimental approaches, including digital humanities and critical perspectives on AI.
Rome's battle for Germania
In ‘Prostitution in military camps: Who Roman soldiers had sex with’, an article published in the latest issue of the German history magazine SPIEGEL Geschichte, Professor Julia Hillner underscored how Rome’s vast slave trade, reaching deep into Germania, supplied the empire with enslaved women and children who were often trafficked and sexually exploited.
Special Issue in Slavery & Abolition
We are delighted to share that BCDSS Senior Fellow Lotte Pelckmans has co-edited a special issue of the renowned journal Slavery & Abolition on “Resistance to Slavery in Africa: Past and Present.”
In Historisches Jahrbuch
Congratulations to Dr. Julia Winnebeck, leader of the "Structures of Dependency in the Late Antique and Early Medieval Western Church" research group as well as Research Area C representative, and PhD researcher Henriette von Harnier on their contribution to the latest edition of the Historisches Jahrbuch.
This publication offers the first edition and translation of the incomplete Paenitentiale Dusseldorpiense, a ninth-century manuscript from the University Library of Düsseldorf, providing new insights into early medieval penance and society.
Call for Papers
As part of the Australian Research Council (ARC) project "Unfreedom, Voices, Redress: Plantation Cultures of the Western Pacific" we are inviting paper proposals for an international workshop entitled Plantation Lives, Gender, and Material Culture: Queen Emma’s Networks and the (Post)Colonial Anglo-German Pacific. The workshop will be held on June 17-19, 2026, at the University of Bonn and the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum (RJM), Cologne.
New Article by Christian Mader
Congratulations to BCDSS researcher and coordinator of the Research Group "The Archaeology of Dependency (ArchDepth): Resources, Power and Status Differentiation," Christian Mader, who, together with Katerina Ragkou, published an article in the journal Frontiers in Human Dynamics!Their research emphasizes that markets are not simply a matter of existing or not; rather, they manifest in diverse forms. Byzantium’s coin-based economy and the Andes’ networked exchanges both exhibit “market-like” features, albeit in very different ways. By approaching markets as a spectrum rather than a binary, their work captures the richness and variety of economic interactions across societies.
Aesopus. Op de slavenmarkt in de oudheid ('Aesop. At the slave market in antiquity')
Congratulations to our former BCDSS Fellow Christian Laes on the publication of his latest book Aesopus. Op de slavenmarkt in de oudheid ('Aesop. At the Slave Market in Antiquity'). Largely written during his research stay at the BCDSS, the book hit the top five recommended reads in just one week after featuring on Flemish National VRT Radio 1.Laes offers the first Dutch translation of a first- and second-century picaresque novel about Aesop, a Greek slave, anti-hero, and fabulist. The novel vividly depicts ancient daily life, including slavery, desire, food, intellect and elite household dynamics.
CfP: Enslaved Muslims and Muslim Enslavers: Islam, Politics and Slavery
Scholars are invited to submit proposals for a two-day conference 6–7 July 2027 at Brock University, Canada, in collaboration with the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies.
DYNARCHIVING: A Project by Former BCDSS Fellow Anne Haeming
Congratulations to our former Fellow Anne Haeming on completing the project she worked on during her Heinz Heinen Fellowship between May and August 2025!
DYNARCHIVINGThis project explores the subjectivity involved in the production of knowledge, that is, the biases and power structures embedded in data, databases, and all forms of archives. It also considers strategies to recognize and unsettle these data biases, even while engaging with them.
DYNARCHIVING is a creative and practical intervention that exposes the subjectivity and power structures embedded in archives and data, both past and present, by making the archive itself dynamic and performative. It invites reflection and disruption while archival information is being used. It offers free tools (chatbot, message-bot, custom cursors, and more), all open-source and licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0.
Call for Applications
We are happy to announce that the the BCDSS calls for applications for five Fellowships that allow recent MA graduates to write a project proposal for a PhD project.
New Publication by Ayesha Hussain
Congratulations to BCDSS PhD researcher Ayesha Hussain for her most recent publication "Networks of Dependencies: Undocumented Pakistani Migrants in the Publicita Firms of Their Co-Ethnics in Italy." The chapter is part of the book South Asians in Southern Europe: Exploring Labour, Identity, and Desire.
Migration specialists use the term "social capital" to refer to social networks. This chapter uses ethnographic data collected from Pakistani migrants living in Brescia to illustrate the impact of limited opportunities in formal employment, participation in the segmented informal sector among established migrants, and reliance on labour provided by undocumented migrants of the same ethnicity. It focuses on the implicit significance of social networks, particularly ethnic bonding networks, as a form of social capital for newly arrived migrants, thereby facilitating their incorporation into small-scale entrepreneurial endeavours. The chapter employs Floya Anthias' (Translocations 4(1), 5–20, 2008) conceptual framework of "translocational positionality" to explain the disparities and inequities observed in a variety of locations and the emergence of asymmetrical dependencies between various migrant groups of Pakistani descent.
Congratulations to Anas Ansar on the Publication of his Dissertation
We are thrilled to congratulate BCDSS PhD Researcher Anas Ansar on the publication of his dissertation!
New Article by Rapti Siriwardane-de Zoysa
We're thrilled to share that the research paper, "Afterlives of reclamation: coastal privatization, distanced dispossession, and more-than-human calcifications in Jakarta Bay" by BCDSS Postdoctoral Researcher Rapti Siriwardane-de Zoysa together with Muhammed Soufi Cahya Gemilang, As-Syahidah Al-Haq, Muthmainnah Rama and Annisa Ananda Sari, has just been published in the journal Maritime Studies.
New Article by Michael Zeuske
Congratulations to BCDSS Principal Investigator Michel Zeuske for his most recent article "El 'afro' de don Fernando Ortiz y los 'africanos' de Humboldt. 'Afro', 'África', Afro-Latinidad en la historia, memoria y herencia cultural de la América ibérica y el Caribe" ("The 'Afro' of Don Fernando Ortiz and the 'Africans' of Humboldt. 'Afro,' 'Africa,' Afro-Latinity in the history, memory, and cultural heritage of Iberian America and the Caribbean"), published in HiN - Alexander Von Humboldt Im Netz. Internationale Zeitschrift für Humboldt-Studien.
Conference: Knowledge Dependencies and the Un/Making of Equitable Futures
Amid escalating geopolitical instability, authoritarian retrenchments, and the deepening securitisation of knowledge-making, this conference critically examines how entrenched knowledge dependencies continue to shape practices of future-making—and how more equitable futures might still be (re)imagined. From the weaponisation of AI to the erosion of indigenous, activist, and academic freedoms, and the constraints of donor-driven agendas, we ask: How is knowledge circulation mediated? Under what conditions have alternative epistemic futures emerged—in the longue durée and within present formations?
With keynotes by Lisa Tilley (SOAS, University of London), AbdouMaliq Simone (University of Sheffield & University of Turin, online), and Margarita Gómez (Southern Voice).
Out Now: DEPENDENT, Issue 11, Focusing on Archives
We are pleased to announce that Issue 11 of our Cluster Magazine DEPENDENT on "Archives – Tracing Dependencies through Archival Research" is now available both online and in print. This edition explores archives not as passive repositories, but as dynamic, contested spaces where power, resistance, and memory intersect.
International Silent Film Festival 2025 - Lecture by Anna May Wong
As part of the supporting program of the International Silent Film Festival (7–17 August 2025) in Bonn, we warmly invite you to a lecture and Q&A by cultural scholar Yumin Li. In her talk, Li shares her research on the remarkable international film career of Show Life (German: "Song") actress Anna May Wong (1905–1961). Li highlights the importance of the Chinese-American actress as a pioneer in film history. As the first Hollywood star of Chinese heritage, Anna May Wong is today seen a symbol of self-empowerment.
Research Grant for PhD Researcher Diego Schibelinski
We are thrilled to announce that the research project, "Sailing a Hidden Atlantic: Slave Ship Crews during the Age of Abolition (1807–1867)," by our PhD researcher Diego Schibelinski has just been awarded a €6,000 grant, chosen from over 115 submissions! This funding will support his upcoming stay in London, where he’ll be diving into original materials at the National Archives, Kew.
His work explores the untold stories of the men who crewed slave ships, especially those voyaging to Brazil during the final decades of the trade. Rather than treating the ship just as a vessel, he sees it as a workplace and living community: a place where early capitalist labor regimes, including coerced and commodified labor, intersected in complex ways.
Using Labor History and Social History methods, he aims to recover who these crew members were, how they were treated under systems of illegality, and how they navigated life and labor under brutal conditions.
New Publication by Diego Schibelinski
Congratulations to PhD Researcher Diego Schibelinski, whose chapter on "Freedom and Slavery among Seafarers in Coastal Navigation (Santa Catarina, 19th Century)" (original: "Liberdade e escravidão entre os marítimos na navegação de cabotagem (Santa Catarina, século XIX")) has just been published in the book Gentes do mar: problemas, personagens e ambientes em estudo da historiografia brasileira, edited by J. Rodrigues.
DEI Certificate Award to David Brandon Smith
Congratulations to David Brandon Smith, who is the first one to complete the DEI Certificate offered by the BCDSS.
"Archaeology and language dynamics in the medieval and early modern eras"
Congratulations to BCDSS postdoctoral researcher James M. Harland, member and representative ofResearch Area E - Gender (and Intersectionality) on his new co-authored Article together with Mark Hudson and Alison Crowther.
Long Dureé Approaches to the Global Plantation Complex
The Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) is accepting applications for an upcoming workshop on the global history of plantations, which will take place in November 2025. This interdisciplinary event will bring together Ph.D. candidates and early-career researchers to explore the historical evolution and global impact of plantation systems from late antiquity through the early modern era.
New Publication: Special Issue of 'Body and Society' edited by Sinah Kloß and Antonia Villinger
Congratulations to BCDSS Research Group Leader Dr. Sinah Kloß and Antonia Villinger (Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg), on editing the special issue of the journal Body and Society titled 'Pregnant Bodies: Embodied Pregnancy.'
New Article by Research Group Leader Sinah Kloß
We would like to draw your attention to the new article, "Tattoos and Sonic Imitation: Mantras, Body Tuning and Tattooing as Sounding," by BCDSS Research Group Leader Dr. Sinah Kloß published in Material Religion: The Journal of Objects, Art, and Belief.
DSS Vol. 20 - New Publication by Ulrich Berges
The book Justice and Righteousness in the Old Testament: Reflecting on Slavery in the Hebrew Bible by BCDSS PI Prof. Dr. Ulrich Berges is now available through open access as part of the BCDSS Book Series 'Dependency and Slavery Studies' (DSS).
"The Devil and Colonialism" - New Publication by Jutta Wimmler
Congratulations to Research Group Leader Dr. Jutta Wimmler, whose article "The Devil and Colonialism" was just published in the The Routledge History of the Devil in the Western Tradition.
New Publication: Special Issue of 'Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History', edited by V. Bartash and A. Pottorf
Congratulations to BCDSS Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Vitali Bartash and Dr. Andrew Pottorf (University of Cambridge) on the publication of a special issue on 'Beyond Slavery and Freedom in Ancient Mesopotamia' with the Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History.
New Article by Christian Mader
New Article by BCDSS Researcher and Coordinator of the Research Group "The Archaeology of Dependency (ArchDepth): Resources, Power and Status Differentiation," Dr. Christian Mader:
"Mapping and Geospatial Analysis of Ancient Terrace Agricultural Systems in Lucanas Province, Peruvian Andes, Based on Satellite Imagery, High-Resolution DSMs, and Field Surveys" (Geoarchaeology, Volume 40, Issue 2).
New Podcast with Christian Mader
Listen to the latest episode of Auf den Spuren alter Kulturen, a podcast series produced by the Marburg Center for the Ancient World (MCAW), in which BCDSS Research Group Leader Christian Mader discusses pre-Columbian studies, an integrative research approach to ancient agricultural terraces, and dependency.
New Publication by Martin Schermaier, Julia Winnebeck, and Matthias Becher
The latest addition to the Dependency and Slavery Studies book series has been released: "Norms of Dependency in Late Antique and Early Medieval Societies: Contextualising Roman Legal Terminology," edited by BCDSS members Martin Schermaier, Julia Winnebeck, and Matthias Becher, is now available via open access.
Monday, 2 June 2025, 19:00 at Kino in der Brotfabrik, Bonn
Join us on Monday, 2 June 2025, when we screen and discuss two short documentary movies from West Africa, both linked by the themes of (social media) activism, slavery, violent repression, and the fight for visibility and recognition of rights, dignity and freedom.
The event is part of our film and discussion series WHO'S GOT THE POWER, jointly organized by the BCDSS and Förderverein Filmkultur Bonn.
We are very pleased that one of the filmmakers, Lotte Pelckmans from the Centre for Advanced Migration Studies, Copenhagen University, Denmark, will be present. She is currently Senior Fellow at the BCDSS and will be joined for the discussion by three further BCDSS members:
Mary Aderonke Afolabi-Adeolu, PhD Researcher, BCDSSBoluwatife Akinro, PhD Researcher, BCDSSProf. Dr. Ana Lucia Araujo, Senior Fellow, BCDSS
BCDSS Secures Additional Seven Years of Funding as Cluster of Excellence
The Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) at the University of Bonn has been awarded an additional seven years of funding by the German Research Foundation (DFG) as part of Germany’s prestigious Clusters of Excellence program.
“This is a clear commitment by the German Research Foundation to establishing Historically Informed Dependency Studies as a distinct and visible new field across the humanities,” said Prof. Stephan Conermann, the cluster’s speaker.
New Publication: Special Issue of Journal 'Life Writing', edited by Jennifer Leetsch and Pia Wiegmink
Congratulations to former BCDSS member Jun.-Prof. Dr. Jennifer Leetsch and BCDSS Professor Dr. Pia Wiegmink on the publication of a special issue on '(In)Dependent Selves: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Life Writing, Slavery and Dependency' with the journal Life Writing.
Exhibitions on Fashion, Identity, and Dependency at the Global Heritage Lab
From 16 May to 12 October 2025, the Global Heritage Lab will display two exhibitions dealing with questions of fashion, identity, and dependency:
Dressing Resistance. Fashion and the Heritage of Mission & Enmeshed and Entwined - Fabrics of Dependency
New article by Michael Zeuske
Principal Investigator Michael Zeuske has just published a new article, "Deutschsprachige Männer und Sklavinnen in der Welt der Second Slavery." (Engl. "German-speaking men and women slaves in the world of Second Slavery") in the journal KonaK-Realitätsausschnitte aus Kontinentalamerika und der Karibik.
New Article by Alice Toso
You can now read the most recent article by BCDSS Investigator Alice Toso et al. online!
Juneteenth Lecture with Kinohi Nishikawa: What Comes before the Haunting?
The afterlife of slavery is one of the most powerful heuristics guiding the study of the social, historical, political, and cultural effects of transatlantic slavery in the Americas. Coined by the scholar and critic Saidiya Hartman, who herself builds on the work of Hazel V. Carby and Hortense Spillers, the afterlife of slavery identifies the ways in which American civic and popular culture, public and private life, are haunted by the traumas not only of chattel slavery but also of the unfinished project of abolition. Toni Morrison's Beloved (1987) is routinely cited as both an inspiration for and exemplum of this interpretive lens. However, over twenty years after the publication of the novel, Morrison grappled with the question of whether one could imagine life outside the parameters of what would come to be known as the afterlife of slavery. In A Mercy (2008), we see Morrison fabulating social intimacy and social conflict beyond, which is to say before, a predetermined fate. This lecture assesses the compatibility of this fictional project with the afterlife of slavery, with special attention to records showing how Morrison guided the publication of her book.
Interdisciplinary Workshop
Humans have long relied on animals to survive and build societies, yet these entanglements, and their impact on human relationships, are often understudied. With current debates around the Anthropocene and shifts in Humanities and Social Sciences, it’s vital to include ecological perspectives in studying colonization, slavery, and asymmetrical dependencies.The interdisciplinary workshop "Entangled Lives", will explore these dynamics, focusing on Indigenous experiences and diverse regions across the Americas.
Prof. Marcy Norton (University of Pennsylvania), author of The Tame and the Wild: People and Animals after 1492, will deliver the keynote as part of the Joseph C. Miller Memorial Lecture Series.
We’ll discuss familiarization, embodied knowledge, dependency, and human-animal bonds shaped by local ecologies.Read the full Workshop Booklet here
Dies Academicus: Case Studies in Human Dependency across Place and Time
Join us at the University of Bonn's Dies Academicus on 14 May, where BCDSS Fellows Evelyn Hu-De Hart, Christine Whyte, and Aleksander Paradziński will provide insights into their current research projects.
New publication in DSS Series by Julia A. B. Hegewald
We're delighted to announce the publication of Jaina Culture in Medieval Karnataka: Dominance, Dependency and Endurance, edited by BCDSS Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Julia A.B. Hegewald.
New Publication by World Christianity Studies & Asymmetrical Dependency (WCSAD) Working Group
We are pleased to announce the publication of the new "Roundtable" on World Christianity and Asymmetrical Dependency in the Journal of World Christianity, Volume 15, Issue 1!
International Lunch Seminar
The International Lunch Seminar "Bondage, Resistance, and Violence in Angola, 1600s-1880s: Centering Women in Histories of Slavery," will take place on Friday, June 6, 2025, from 12:00 to 1:30 PM at Heussallee 18-24 (room 1.100).
Online Talk by BCDSS Research Group Leader Sinah Kloß
We would like to draw your attention to the online talk that will be part of the lecture series of the working group "Familie im Feld" of the German Anthropological Association (DGSKA). BCDSS Research Group Leader Sinah Kloß will be speaking about "Pregnant with Ideas:: Reflections on Pregnancy and Birth in Ethnographic Knowledge Production" on April 25 at 10:15 am.
New Publications by Ludwig D. Morenz
Congratulations to BCDSS Principal Investigator Ludwig D. Morenz on his recent publication "The vulture and the headless man: Scenes of violence on a Predynastic prestige object from Gebelein" in Archéo-Nil Volume 34 published by Peeters Online Journals.
We would also like to announce his upcoming book Kultur und Macht im vorpharaonischen Ägypten: Visualisierungen von Herrschaft in der sozio-kulturellen Peripherie des Wadi el Malik und des Wadi Nac am während des Vierten Jahrtausends (Culture and Power in Pre-Pharaonic Egypt: Visualizing Claims to Sovereignty in the Socio-Cultural Periphery of Wadi el Malik and Wadi Nac am during the Fourth Millennium) that will be published in German, English and Arabic by EB-VERLAG.
Strong Asymmetrical Dependencies: Perspectives from Asia, Past & Present
Organized by the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies, this conference aims to address gaps in the study of slavery, bondage, coerced labor, and forced displacement across Asia. We invite scholars from various disciplines to contribute to a better understanding of the history, historiography, legacies, and current forms of these dependencies from an Asian perspective. We seek innovative historical case studies and contributions on topics like emic terminologies, memory, archival practices, and digital approaches. The conference will also explore the value and implications of adopting an "Asian perspective" in advancing scholarly dialogue and interdisciplinarity.
New publications by Klara Boyer-Rossol
Congratulations to Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Klara Boyer-Rossol who has published four books on Slavery in Africa during her time as a Research Fellow at the BCDSS.
"WHO'S GOT THE POWER?"
The WHO'S GOT THE POWER film and discussion series is carrying on this April in collaboration with Förderverein Filmkultur, at Kino in der Brotfabrik, Bonn.
On April 8th, 2025, 19:00h, we will be screening the award-winning documentary THE ILLUSION OF ABUNDANCE, directed by Erika Gonzalez Ramirez and Matthieu Lietaert (Belgium/Brazil 2022).
A powerful indictment of neo-colonialism, the documentary aims to raise awareness of the various manifestations of neo-colonialism in Latin America and to take a stand against environmental destruction and social injustice. The film had its premiere at the European Parliament in October 2022 and went on to win numerous awards in 2023.
Erika Gonzáles Ramírez and Matthieu Lietaert explore who the modern-day conquistadores in Latin America are, why people, and in particular the indigenous population, continue to be exploited, and how powerful players including transnational corporations and institutions can be called to responsibility.
The discussion will be featuring BCDSS members Carla Jaimes Betancourt and Christian Mader, as well as Aline Pereira from the Global Heritage Lab, who will be exploring systems of oppression and modern-day conquistadores in Latin America from historically, culturally, and legally informed points of view.
Find out more below.
Book Launch with Ulrike Schmieder
Join us for the launch of Enslavement in the Atlantic World Sites of Remembrance, Sites of Silence in France and Spain, Martinique and Cuba by BCDSS affiliate Ulrike Schmieder.
The Matis' Tattoo Celebration (90'): Film screening
Join us on 25 March, 2025 for the screening of 'Matses Muxan Akadakit', a captivating movie about the Matis tattoo celebration directed by the indigenous Matis people.
CfP: Heterarchies and Power Dynamics in Post-Roman Europe (4th-10th century AD)
The Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA) Present Pasts invites interdisciplinary contributions from archaeology, history, art history, and related fields to uncover the diverse and nonlinear processes that influenced the transition from antiquity to the medieval world.
New Co-edited Volume in DSS Series
Congratulations to BCDSS Research Group Leader Dr. Sinah Kloß and PhD Researchers Lena Muders and Taynã Tagliati on their new co-edited volume in the BCDSS Book Series "Dependency and Slavery Studies" (DSS)
"California, A Slave State": A Reading & Discussion with Jean Pfaelzer and Damian Pargas
The event is part of our (UN-)ABHÄNGIGE ANSICHTEN series and in cooperation with Amerikahaus-NRW.
Labour, Freedom, Slavery
Join us on April 29th when Theresa Wobbe, BCDSS alumna, will discuss the recently published book “Sklaverei, Freiheit und Arbeit: Soziohistorische Beiträge zur Rekonfiguration von Zwangsarbeit,” edited by herself, Léa Renard, and Marianne Braig. Theresa Wobbe will be joined by Claudia Jarzewobski, BCDSS Professor for Early Modern History and Dependency Studies, and Eva Marie Lehner, BCDSS Postdoctoral Researcher.
New Publication in the Series Dependency & Slavery Studies - Volume 16 Is Out Now!
The new volume is edited by former BCDSS Fellow Mònica Ginés-Blasi and includes contributions by several BCDSS members.
Women's Agency in Academia
Join us on March 10th, 2025, from 14:00-16:00, for what is promosing to be a powerful discussion on overcoming challenges related to gender identities within academic settings. The event aims to highlight the increasing presence of women in academia, demonstrate their strength and resilience in overcoming obstacles, and inspire younger academics who are embarking on their journeys in higher education.
This is an invitation to representatives of all genders. Men are particularly welcome to join the conversation!
With Prof. Dr. Chioma Daisy Onyige and Prof. Dr. Natalie Joy, we have two senior academics at the BCDSS of international calibre, who are happy to share their personal experiences. They will be joined by two equally remarkable researchers and alumnae of the Center for International Development (ZEF): Dr. Rabia Chaudhry and Dr. Dennis Avilés Irahola.
This hybrid event is jointly organised by the Center for Development Research (ZEF) and the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery (BCDSS) at the University of Bonn. The event location is ZEF (details below).
Please register for the event if you would like to take part remotely (details below).
Call for Papers: Special Issue "Slaveries and Human Remains"
Together with Magali Bessone (University Paris 1 Sorbonne) and Ricardo Roque (University of Lisbon), BCDSS Postdoctoral Guest Researcher Dr. Klara Boyer Rossol is calling for papers on "Slaveries and Human Remains" for their co-edited special issue of the journal Slaveries & Post-Slaveries.
New co-edited Special Issue on 'Indentured Bodies/Embodiments of Indenture'
Congratulations to Sinah Kloß and Jennifer Leetsch, researchers at the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS), on their co-edited special issue on indentureship and embodiment in the Journal of Indentureship and its Legacies
BCDSS Hoodies & T-Shirts are here!
You can now try them on at Niebuhrstraße.
New Publication "Dependent: Global Perspectives on the History of Resources and Slavery"
In the volume, edited by Martin Bentz, Nikolai Grube and Patrick Zeidler, seven of our cluster members illuminate "strong asymmetrical dependencies" related to fabrics from a cross-cultural and diachronic perspective. However, they also go beyond the resource of textile and examine the diverse spectrum of human dependency relationships in connection with basic foodstuffs and luxury foods. It is the companion volume to the BCDSS exhibition.
Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Pia Wiegmink!
We are very happy to announce that BCDSS Prof. Dr. Pia Wiegmink is part of a joint research project entitled „Unfreedom, Voices, Redress: Plantation Cultures of the Western Pacific“ that has been granted 882,000 AUSD by the Australian Research Council!
Chief Investigators of the four-year project are Professor Penny Edmonds, of Flinders University, and Professor Deirdre Coleman, of University of Melbourne.
Professor Dr. Pia Wiegmink is Partner Investigator alongside Dr. Margaret Mishra (University of the South Pacific), Dr. Oliver Lueb (Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum, Cologne), and Ms Imelda Miller (Queensland Museum).
New Publication by Michael Zeuske
Prof. Dr. Michael Zeuske presents the history of enslaved people in Africa, the Atlantic, and the Americas, with a focus on Latin America and the early capitalist-slave societies such as Cuba, Brazil, and the United States, which were based on what is now known as "second slavery." It examines how this history connects to the emergence of the term "Afro," highlighting that, although often considered an American creation, it is, in fact, of Cuban origin.