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.
-
Exploring the Intersections of Religious Freedom and Dependency
May 06, 2024
-
Children and Empire
Apr 08, 2024
- More…
Contributed exclusively by the BCDSS and edited by the BCDSS' own Pia Wiegmink and Jutta Wimmler, the newest special issue of the Journal of Global Slavery demonstrates the variety of research done at the cluster. The Introduction is available as open access.
Congratulations to Michael Zeuske, Principal Investigator at the BCDSS, who authored the chapter "Migration, Slavery and Commodification" in The Oxford Handbook of Commodity History!
Continuing our commitment to thought-provoking cinema and dialogue, we kick off our 2024 series with an exclusive preview of the Afrika Film Festival Köln, due this September. We are lucky to be able to feature a Screening & Discussion of five Festival films:
LIONS by Beru Tessema (2022)
OUSMANE by Jorge Camarotti (2021)
P.D.O. (PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN) by Sammy Sidali (2021)
FLOWERS by Dumas Haddad (2022)
SÈT LAM by Vincent Fontano (2023)
Join us for our post-screening talk and get-together with BCDSS members:
Malik Ade, Mary Aderonke Afolabi-Adeolu and Luvena Kopp (moderation)
Together with Prof. Dr. Chioma Daisy Onyige and our partner institution from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, we host an international workshop on "Contemporary Slavery and Asymmetrical Dependency in Nigeria."
Former BCDSS Fellow Prof. Dr. Christian Laes, University of Manchester, has published a new book on Disability and Healing in Greek and Roman Myth.
A roundtable with historians from France, Britain, Germany and the US.
Am Lehrstuhl von Prof. Dr. Julia Hillner ist zum 1. Oktober 2024 die Stelle eines*r Wissenschaftliche*n Mitarbeiter*in (65%) zu besetzen. Die Stelle ist vom 1. Oktober 2024 bis zum 30. September 2028 befristet ausgeschrieben. Nach einem Jahr wird eine Zwischenevaluation durchgeführt. Bis zum 31. Januar 2026 ist die Stelle am Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) angesiedelt, ab dem 1. Februar 2026 am Institut für Geschichtswissenschaften/Abteilung Alte Geschichte.
The Chair of Prof. Dr. Julia Hillner invites applications for the position of a Research Associate (65%). The position is for a fixed-term period from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2028. An interim evaluation will be carried out after one year. Until January 31, 2026, the position is located at the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS), from February 1, 2026 at the Institute of Historical Sciences / Department of Ancient History.
Für die Zusammenarbeit mit dem Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis (IISG) suchen wir zum nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt und für ca. 19 Stunden die Woche eine studentische (SHK, im BA Studium) oder wissenschaftliche Hilfskraft (WHF, im MA Studium) (m/w/d).
For our cooperation with the Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis (IISG) we are looking for a student assistant (SHK, in the BA programme) or research assistant (WHF, in the MA programme) (m/f/d) for approx. 19 hours per week as soon as possible.
Contact Us
Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS)
Subscribe to our email list and get all of the latest news!
The Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies is on Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter)! Follow us and stay updated.
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