Research center Hamburg's (post-) colonial legacy

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The Research Center Hamburg's (Post-) Colonial Heritage / Hamburg and Early Globalization is a research institute of the University of Hamburg that researches the “connections and after-effects of colonialism in Hamburg , Germany and the former colonies”. The research center, founded in 2014, is headed by the historian Jürgen Zimmerer , who is considered one of the leading colonialism researchers in Germany.

history

In 2013 the Hamburg Citizenship suggested coming to terms with the colonial history of Hamburg, which was characterized by a variety of conditions of exploitation. As a result, the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg decided to develop a Hamburg-wide remembrance concept that includes post-colonial remembrance work, the design of the "historical testimonies in Jenfeld" ( Lettow-Vorbeck barracks ) and the establishment of the Hamburg research center (post- ) included colonial heritage .

tasks

The research center analyzes the connections and after-effects of colonialism in Hamburg, Germany and the former colonies. The focus is on the dynamics, representations and controversies of (German) colonialism, which are explored using exemplary case studies. Other tasks of the research center are, for example, the organization of lectures and lecture series as well as the creation of a web presentation.

research

The research center works on a large number of colonial-historical projects. The involvement of Hamburg merchants in colonial expansion, the history of People of Color in Hamburg, colonial discourses in Hamburg theaters after 1871 or the interweaving of anti-Semitism and colonial racism in the German Empire are analyzed. In addition, the thematic complex of colonial photography (focus: German South West Africa ) and the triad of racism , colonialism and National Socialism are explored.

Another field of research is provenance research . The "Colonial Traces" project examines the history of the collections of the Übersee-Museum Bremen, where 5000 colonial objects are stored, some of which are of unknown origin. At the same time, the “globalization of colonial art theft” is analyzed using the “Benin Bronzes”. These are high profile works of art from pre-colonial Africa that were scattered around the world after the British sacking of Benin City in 1897.

Science Council

At the beginning of 2017, the Science Council certified the research center as having “excellent starting points” to sensitize the population to the importance of the University of Hamburg. At the same time, colonial history was marked as a “potential area” for the University of Hamburg. According to the website of the research center, this positive evaluation is "both a confirmation and an incentive for the employees."

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Inter-factional petition of the members of the parliamentary groups of SPD, CDU, GAL, FDP, DIE LINKE in the culture committee, on Drs. 20/3752
  2. a b https://www.geschichte.uni-hamburg.de/arbeitsgebiete/globalgeschichte/forschung/forschungsstelle-hamburgs-postkoloniales-erbe.html
  3. https://www.uni-hamburg.de/newsroom/presse/2017/pm23.html
  4. https://www.uni-hamburg.de/newsroom/presse/2017/pm44.html
  5. Science Council, recommendations for the further development of the humanities and social sciences as well as the overall strategy of the University of Hamburg. Drs. 5936-17, Berlin 20 01 2017, pages 115/116.
  6. Science Council, recommendations for the further development of the humanities and social sciences as well as the overall strategy of the University of Hamburg. Drs. 5936-17, Berlin 20 01 2017, page 10.
  7. https://www.kolonialismus.uni-hamburg.de/wissenschaftsrat-bestaetigt-forschungsstelle-hamburgs-post-koloniales-erbe-traegt-zur-sichtbarkeit-der-universitaet-in-hamburg-und-darueber-hinaus-bei /