Insight into research-oriented teaching
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Insight into research-oriented teaching
Debates on the history of slavery
Head: Prof Dr Dagmar Freist
Summer term 2023
This seminar focussed on critical reflection on the debate surrounding the history of slavery in the (German) culture of remembrance. With the so-called "Historikerstreit 2.0", the German culture of remembrance in relation to the Holocaust has been compared to the reappraisal and commemoration of slavery and colonialism and debated for several years. Against this background, sources on slavery from the period of European expansion and colonialism were analysed over the course of the semester. The research project Prize Papers(www.prizepapers.de) provides digital copies of court cases and appeals from trade conflicts and naval wars, which contain extensive references to the trade in enslaved people. These materials were analysed in small project groups and placed in relation to the debate on the history of slavery. Over the course of the semester, the examples and focal points chosen by the students themselves were summarised in a poster presentation and an accompanying essay. An online collaboration with students from Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, South Africa, also took centre stage.
Captured under a neutral flag - Maritime neutrality and international law in the 18th century
Head: Lena Potschka
Summer term 2023
During the early modern period, the sea increasingly developed into an area of conflict between the dominant colonial powers of Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Denmark and the Netherlands. Triggered by European expansion and the boom in transatlantic maritime trade, competition for new colonies and resources flared up. As a result, the era was characterised by almost permanent naval warfare. Capturing merchant ships therefore established itself as an effective instrument of state warfare.
A capture always had to be followed by a trial before an admiralty court to determine its legality and decide on the prizes, both the goods loaded and the captured ship. In the course of the 18th century in particular, a complex system of rules for the seizure of ships and captured goods developed in the form of a general law of naval warfare.
In addition to the belligerent powers, however, there were also a number of neutral parties.
Maritime neutrality was a central but above all enormously complex and multi-faceted phenomenon. In the 18th century, neutrality was not yet a concept defined by international law: the parties involved in international conflicts could interpret it in very different ways. The politically motivated interpretations of neutrality and the associated trade rights were a central point of conflict at international level for centuries and were the focus of this seminar.
Digital humanities and globalisation
Head: Frank Marquardt
Summer term 2023
Large digital databases, handwriting recognition and analysis tools such as dynamic maps or text analyses with the help of various AIs are becoming increasingly powerful. Digital innovations have long had a lasting impact on various areas of society. In recent years, they have also become increasingly important in historical studies.
The seminar analysed how modern technologies (digital humanities) influence the answering of historical questions. However, a critical post-colonial view of these technologies was also taken in order to find out where the limits, problems and dangers lie for the humanities.
The aim of the seminar was to develop a new approach to quantitative questions in the early modern period with the help of sources from the digitisation project and the Prize Papers research project. Traders' networks were analysed, as were biographical data on seafarers, slave transports and travel routes. The material in the Prize Papers provides an insight into globalisation processes in the 18th century. With the help of the approaches from the DH area, the students developed ways of making these processes visible and analysable.
Captured!
Management:
Jessica Cronshagen
Frank Marquardt
Late summer 2019
How did sea travellers experience their journey to the colonies? What stories of illness, longing and slavery did they tell their relatives in Europe? These impressions are preserved in the captured documents of the British Naval Court in London. In late summer 2019, a joint crew of pupils from the Helene Lange School, students from the University of Oldenburg and employees from the Innovative University of Applied Sciences Jade Oldenburg and the Prizepapers project to trace these testimonies.
In intensive research work with the digitised sources of the Prizepapers collection, students examined the material under the following aspects: Life in the colonies, life on the ship and maritime trade and privateer wars for an 11th grade theatre project. In a joint workshop between pupils and students, research results and possible implementations for the theatre project were exchanged. The joint journey will continue in the coming summer semester with the aim of bringing the long unnoticed impressions from the Prize Papers to the stage. The play can be seen on 24 June 2020 at the Limonadenfabrik Oldenburg!