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News
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.
CfP: 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).
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.
Dies Academicus: Enmeshed & Entwined: Fabrics of Dependency
Exhibition curator Dr. Beatrix Ihde-Hoffmann will give a short introduction - in German - to the current BCDSS exhibition, on display at the Bonn University and State Library - ULB - until 20 December 2024.
Dies Academicus: Slavery and Abolition in Global Perspective
Marking the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery (2 December), Henriette Rødland, Sean Kelley and Bahar Bayraktaroğlu will present their research perspectives on abolition at the University of Bonn's Dies Academicus on 4 December 2024 from 14:15 - 15:45.
Enmeshed & Entwined: FABRICS OF DEPENDENCY launches digitally!
To find out what to expect, watch our three-minute exhibition trailer filmed during the setup of the exhibition.
Podcast Series by Research Group "Mutual Dependencies and Normative Production in Africa"
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.
Film Screening & Discussion: DESIRE LINES
On November 14th, we will be carrying on with the "WHO'S GOT THE POWER?" film and discussion series in cooperation with Förderverein Filmkultur at Kino in der Brotfabrik, Bonn!
In time for Transgender Week, we will be screening DESIRE LINES, an award-winning hybrid documentary that sets out to reframe transmasculine sexuality and history.
Congratulations to Christine Mae Sarito
Our PhD researcher has won the 2024 Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award!
Resource Extractivism and Environmental (In)justice
Roundtable Discussion at Volkshochschule Bonn in cooperation with BCDSS, BICC, IISG, ZEF
The Strong Asymmetrical Dependency Studies Reader, First Edition
The most comprehensive collection of texts on Strong Asymmetrical Dependency Studies.
Guest Presentation: “Slaves wanted!” Wissens- und Techniktransfers zwischen Karibik und Westafrika um 1700
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.
Guest Lecture: „Diese vorgeblichen Weisen“ - Der Afrikareisebericht des Abbé Proyart (1776) als Aufklärungskritik
Dr. Jutta Wimmler will join Professor Kim Siebenhüner's Colloquium at the University of Jena for a lecture on January 25th, 2025.
Comparative approaches to power and dependency in the High Middle Ages
Call for Papers & Workshop
BCDSS Exhibition Launch
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!
New publication by Reasearch Group "Archdepth"
With contributions by Christian Mader, Claire Conrad, Tamia Viteri Toledo, Paul Graf and Hanna Schubert
Lunch Talk with the editors “Beyond Slavery and Freedom”
Lunch Talk with the editors and authors of the Special Issue “Beyond Slavery and Freedom”, published in the Journal of Global Slavery.
CfP: Strong Asymmetrical Dependencies - Perspectives from Asia, Past & Present
Since the global turn, research about strong asymmetrical dependencies across time and space (among which, but not limited to slavery, bondage, labor and coercion) has greatly expanded both conceptually and geographically. Asia, however defined, is certainly not the blind spot it once was in labor and slavery studies anymore. Yet, despite the pluralization recently generated by global labor and global slavery studies, Asia still remains marginal in many respects. Slavery in early-modern Asia, to mention only one example, is increasingly studied through the lens of European archives, and through European terms of what this slavery entailed, leaving aside the study of forms of exploitation and forced displacement that took place before, beside and beyond the European presence in Asia. What seems to be particularly missing in current discussions is an emic perspective from Asia; that is to say, a more granular and accurate view of the practices, norms and their evolutions, from existing vernacular sources (written, oral and material) and from the actor’s experiences, categories and worldviews. What also seems to be missing is a genuine accounting of Asian historiographies, as well as a proper assessment of the legacies and memories of these diverse phenomena in the contemporary societies of Asia.
New article by Pia Wiegmink
In a Special Issue on Slavery and colonialism in German cultural memory
Romani Feminisms: Intersectionality in the Context of Dependencies
Our next conference takes place in Niebuhrstr. 5, on September 10.
Congratulations to Magnus Goffin on the Publication of his Dissertation
We are thrilled to congratulate BCDSS PhD Researcher Magnus Goffin on the publication of his dissertation!
New Publication by David B. Smith
Congratulations to BCDSS PhD Researcher David B. Smith, whose chapter, "'This is my Story, this is my Song:' Queer Presbyterians, Provocative Questions, Practical Politics, and a Case for Church History in the Development of Theologies of Justice" will be published in the book Awake Emerging, and Connected: Meditations on Justice from a Missing Generation edited by Dr. Victoria Turner (Ripon College Cuddesdon) and published by SCM Press.
David Smith's partly autobiographical and theologically constructive piece reflects on the role of history and historiography in the development of theologies of justice. It does so by charting the way historical patterns of discernment shaped the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its fifty-year struggle over the inclusion, ordination, and marriage of LGBTQIA+ Christians in that religious community.
Our Heartfelt Condolences
It is with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Professor Trevor Burnard, director of the Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation at the University of Hull.
Out now: DEPENDENT, Issue 9
The online version of our most recent DEPENDENT issue is out! You can download it from our website (see below).The print copy will be available from the beginning of August.
Children, Dependency, and Emotions in the Early Modern World, 1500-1800: Archival and Visual Narratives
Annual Event Series on Gender and Intersectionality
New Article by Dr. Josef Köstlbauer
"Magdalena More's Complaint." In Journal of Moravian History
Maroon Ecologies, Maroon Imaginaries
This workshop traces alternative Maroon worlds and worldviews along two specific lines of inquiry, ecology and imagination. Convening scholars from across disciplines (including geography, archaeology, anthropology, literary history and sound studies), we will probe the different environmental and cultural contexts of Marronage. Our goal is to engage with Marronage as an ecological, political and creative practice, underlining how Black ways of engaging with the environment provide a conceptual and practical reorientation to anthropogenic climate change.
THE EMPTY GRAVE: Film Screening & Discussion
We are carrying on with the "WHO'S GOT THE POWER?" series in cooperation with Förderverein Filmkultur at Brotfabrik, Bonn!
Our second film this year, THE EMPTY GRAVE (original: 'DAS LEERE GRAB'), a German-Tanzanian co-production by Agnes Lisa Wegner and Cece Mlay, was launched at the Berlinale Film Festival earlier this year. It addresses the legacy of the German colonial rule in Tanzania: the search for the physical remains of family members, the intergenerational trauma, the quest for justice, the question of future coexistence.
Everyone is warmly welcome to join us for the post-screening talk and reception with drinks and fingerfood in the informal setting of Studio 5.
On the panel representing the BCDSS:
Mary Aderonke Afolabi-Adeolu, PhD ResearcherBoluwatife Akinro, PhD ResearcherDr. Mercy Mashingaidze, Postdoctoral Researcher & LecturerTIME: 4 July 202420:00: Screening21:30: Discussion/ReceptionLOCATION: Kino in der Brotfabrik, Kreuzstraße 16, 53225 BonnREGISTRATION: To help us plan, kindly register for the discussion/reception by 3 July (below).
New Website: World of Roman Bonn
We are pleased to announce that our Tour of Roman Bonn now has its own website - the World of Roman Bonn!
World Day Against Child Labour
June 12 marks the 'World Day Against Child Labor'. It aims to catalyze the growing global effort to eliminate child labor.
Roundtable Discussion: “The Visual Archives of Slavery: Legacies, Practices and Debates”
Researchers at the BCDSS work with and on visual material in their research on slaveries and dependencies. In this roundtable, a curator, an artist, and several researchers from the BCDSS will talk about visuality and dependency.
New Book: RESIST! The Art of Resistance by Ricardo Márquez García together with N. Snoep, V. Marušić & L. Hauth
By PhD Researcher Ricardo Márquez García together with Nanette Snoep, Vera Marušić and Lydia Hauth
Workshop: Exploring the Atlantic and Asian Dutch Empire and its Archives
Organized by Eva Marie Lehner (BCDSS) and Hanna te Velde (IISH)
Identities in History - Guest Lecture by Prof. Kwame Anthony Appiah
We are pleased to announce that the renowned philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah will give a guest lecture at the BCDSS on 27 June 2024 titled "Identities in History." Appiah's lecture will be based on his latest book The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity (2018).
Call for Papers
Recent cataclysms in Eastern Europe prove glaringly just how important it is to continuously discuss and analyze asymmetrical dependencies in premodern inner Eurasian connecting spaces north and east of the great mountain ranges (e.g., Carpathians, Caucasus, Pamir, Tien Shan, Altai, etc.), now in large parts claimed by Russia.
The conference reaches beyond what is now Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, encouraging scientific debates across regional and temporal disciplinary boundaries with area studies globally within the framework of the histories of entanglements and memory
New BCDSS Discussion Paper Out Now!
The third BCDSS Discussion Paper on "Asymmetrical Dependencies and Intersectionality" has just been published.
The Discussion Papers are dedicated to discussing the theoretical side of "strong asymmetrical dependency." They serve as impulses for researchers in and beyond the BCDSS who intend to work with the new key concept of strong asymmetrical dependency.
Workshop: Why Words Matter in Academia: Challenges and obstacles, policies and solutions
BCDSS' Translator & Academic Editor Imogen Herrad and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator Dima Al Munajed will host this workshop for the University of Bonn's Diversity Days 2024.