Prof. Dr. Christoph Witzenrath

Centred on the Eurasian steppe and its neighbours, Christoph Witzenrath researches the influence of nomadic-settled relations and the slave trade on social dependency and political representation. Stories of liberation as distinguished from the emphatic, individualized concept of freedom proliferated in various forms, such as widespread identification with the “New Israel” in Muscovy “liberating slaves” by military means and ransom. In a field of tensions and competing loyalties on various sides of the steppe, most captives sold by nomadic slavers mainly on southern markets ultimately remained in their new environments; however, some returned. Premodern peasants’ and workers’ duties, legal and practical arrangements have been neglected since the Soviet period; local investigations are also needed for non-Slavic environments. Eurasian societies in various forms shared the gap between state and dependent social groups. The structural and cultural reasons for this defining difference have yet to be analysed in contradistinction to Africa characterized as predominantly community-oriented. Read more on his research field here.

1 monograph, 1 monograph translated into Italian, 1 paperback edition, 1 edited volume, 12 academic papers, 5 reviews, 40 national and international lectures.

1999–2005
Ph.D. in History, King’s College, University of London, UK

1991–1998
M.A. in History, Eastern European History and Political Science, University of Freiburg, Humboldt University, Berlin and Free University Berlin, Germany   

since 2017
Professor for Premodern Slavery and Strong Asymmetrical Dependencies, Russia to 1800, Political Culture, Empire, and Eurasia, University of Bonn, Germany

2013–2016
Principal Investigator [Projektleiter, wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter], University of Greifswald, Germany

2012
Petro Jacyk Visiting Scholar, Munk School for International Studies, University of Toronto, Canada

2011
Resistance and Abolition Postdoctoral Fellow, Gilder Lehrman Center for the History of Slavery, Yale, USA

2010
Shklar Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, USA

2009–2019
Honorary Research fellow, University of Aberdeen, UK

2007–2009
Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, University of Aberdeen, UK
 

2015
Discussant, ASEEES, panel "Language, Style, and Image in Service to Rulers and Rulership: The Royal Letter in Muscovy"

2014
Conference organisation: Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) convention, panel: "Early Modern Exile and Culture" (organizer)

2009
International conference "Slavery, Ransom and Liberation in Russia and the Steppe Area, 1500-2000" (Aberdeen, June 15-16): designer and organizer

2009
American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies convention, idea and co-organizer of the panel "Religion and Representations in Muscovite Foreign Relations"

2017–2020
Temporary Position for Principal Investigator, German Research Community (DFG) Priority Program "Transottomanica"

2013–2016
DFG Temporary Position for Principal Investigator

2012
Petro Jacyk Visiting Scholar, Centre for Russian and East European Studies, University of Toronto, Canada

2011
The Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition Fellowship, Yale, USA

2011
German Historical Institute Moscow Fellowship

2010
Shklar Fellowship, Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute

2009
Conference allowances: British Association for Slavonic and Eastern European Studies

2007–2009
Leverhulme Trust. Leverhulme early career fellowship

1998–2001
King’s College London research studentship

Total sum of approximately 0.7 million euro ad personam