Prof. Dr. Reinhard Zöllner

Reinhard Zöllner is concerned with the role of slavery and slave trade in early modern East Asia. In the 15th to 17th centuries, pirate activities and warfare resulted in the enslavement and trading of considerable numbers of Koreans and Chinese. Slavery was still a common institution in Choseon Korea until the 19th century, whereas in China and Japan, it was almost absent. Recent research indicates that deserting slaves tried to escape to Japan by sea but were "repatriated" to Korea without the Japanese authorities inquiring about their status. On the other side of the coin, Koreans who had been abducted to Japan in the wars of the late 16th century were used as forced laborers until their repatriation was negotiated between the two governments. Zöllner's focus will be on the relationship between international politics and slavery.

9 books, 9 edited volumes, 67 papers and various book reviews. 200 national and international presentations and lectures, 15 completed, 5 ongoing Ph.D. supervisions.

1997
Habilitation and Venia legendi in Japanology, University of Trier, Germany

1988–1992
Ph.D., University of Kiel, Germany

1981–1988
MA in Latin, History, and Japanology University of Kiel (Germany), University of Hamburg (Germany), Sophia University Tokyo (Japan)

since 2008
Professor of Japanese Studies, Department of Japanese and Korean Studies, University of Bonn, Germany

2003–2004
Toyota Visiting Professor, Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan, USA

1999–2008
Professor of East Asian History, Chair of East Asian History, University of Erfurt, Germany

1997–1999
Professor of Economic and Social History of Modern Japan, Department of Japanology, University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany

1990–1997
Lecturer, Department of Modern Japanese Studies, University of Düsseldorf, Germany

since 2010
Co-editor of the journal "Crossroads – Studies on the History of Exchange Relations in the East Asian World"

since 2009
Member of the scientific advisory board of the journal "Historische Mitteilungen" of the Ranke Society

since 2005
External reviewer for approximately 30 historical and Japanese appointment procedures at German, Belgian and French universities

since 2000
Co-editor of the series "Reihe zur Geschichte Ostasiens" 
Reviewer for national and international research organizations and foundations

• DFG (newspaper project since 2010)
• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) (joint projects since 2005)
• Japan Foundation
• Japanese Foundation for the Promotion of Science
• Korea Foundation
• North East Asia History Foundation

The total sum of approximately € 1.4 million.