Prof. Dr. Michael Max Paul Zeuske

Principal Investigator

Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies
Carl-Maria-von-Weber-Str. 2
D-04109 Leipzig
mzeuske@uni-bonn.de

GSSC14_4216.jpg
© Barbara Frommann

Academic Profile

Michael Zeuske is focusing on different forms of asymmetrical dependencies and slaveries in the Atlantic hemisphere (1400–1900), in the global history of slavery (20000 BC–today) and in different local slaveries and slave trades on a micro-historical level as well (life histories and self-representations of enslaved people, ex slaves, slaveholders and slave traders). Dependencies of these different forms and levels between "Slavery and Freedom" are interesting to examine in the beginnings of the processes of enslavement, in all types of slavery regimes, in works of slaves and the work of dependent people (for example on slavery plantations and in commodity production of sugar, cotton, coffee, tobacco, cocoa, indigo, as well as cattle, meat and leather), as well as in the relations among the enslaved (ritualized forms of kinship) and in relations of enslaved (women and men) and slavers (slave traders as well as slave holders, also women). Zeuske is specialist in all types of archival documention of slaveries and slaves, as well as elite and/ or scientific perspectives on slavery and slaves. An important focus of Zeuske’s research are the south-south dimensions of slave trades, slaveries, including the accumulation of capital, wealth and power by elites in Africa, on the Atlantic and in the Americas (Africa-Atlantic-America), together with the dynamics of slavery capitalism and industrialization in a global framework.

26 books, 23 edited volumes, 196 papers. 250 national and international lectures, 3 completed and one ongoing habilitations, 25 completed and 10 ongoing Ph.D. supervisions, 185 supervised Diploma and Magister theses, 30 Master and 45 Bachelor theses.

1991
Habilitation/Venia legendi in Modern History 1500–1917, Global History

1980–1983
Ph.D., University of Leipzig, Germany

1976–1981
Studies in History and Philosophy, University of Leipzig, Germany

since 2019
Senior Research Professor, Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies BCDSS), University of Bonn, Germany

2018–2019
Professor for Modern History, Departamento de Historia, Universidad de la Habana, Cuba (DAAD fellow)

1993–2018
Professor for Iberian and Latin American History, University of Cologne, Germany

1992–1993
Professor for Comparative History and Ibero-American History, Department of History, University of Leipzig, Germany

1984–1991
Research Associate of the Department of History, University of Leipzig, Germany

since 2022
Corresponding member of the Academia Nacional de la Historia (Caracas, Venezuela)

since 2012
Corresponding member of the Academia de la Historia (La Habana, Cuba)

since 2007
Co-editor "Jahrbuch für Europäische Überseegeschichte"

since 1991
Co-founder and co-editor of the journal "COMPARATIV. Zeitschrift für Globalgeschichte und Vergleichende Gesellschaftsgeschichte"

2009–2014
Member of the editorial board of the "International Review for Social History"

since 2010
Research Network "International Research Seminar on the Second Slavery," Fernand Braudel Center, University of Binghampton (SUNY), University of Cologne, set of Universities from USA, Brazil, France, Latin America

since 2003
"The Law in Slavery and Freedom," University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA

2016–2020
La configuración de los espacios atlánticos ibéricos. Ministerio de Economía y Competividad (head: Prof. Santiago de Luxán Méndez, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, HAR2015-66142-R)

2015–2018
International Research Project: "La participación española en el tráfico de esclavos y los legados de la esclavitud en España (1765–1886)" (MINECO/FEDER HAR2015-67365P - Prof. Dr. Martín Rodrigo y Alharilla, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona)

2007–2011
Proyecto de investigación "Santiago de Cuba" (HQ2007-62149/HIST), Directorate-General of the Ministry of the Environment, investigador principal: Juan Andreo García

2007–2010
Fellow of the research project "Global Labor Relations" (responsible for the Latin America section 1500–2000), IISH Amsterdam, Netherlands

  • various German Research Foundation (DFG) projects
  • Thyssen-Foundation
  • Börsenverein des deutschen Buchhandels (The German Publishers & Booksellers Association)
  • 2023. "Migration, Slavery, and Commodification." In  The Oxford Handbook of Commodity History, Oxford Handbooks. Curry-Machado, Jonathan, and others (eds). 311–334
  • 2023. "The Rise of Atlantic Slavery in the Americas." In The Palgrave Handbook of Global Slavery throughout History, edited by Damian Pargas and Juliane Schiel, 379–393. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • 2023. "The Second Slavery in the Americas." In The Palgrave Handbook of Global Slavery throughout History, edited by Damian Pargas and Juliane Schiel, 429–439. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • 2023. "Vorwort zur deutschsprachigen Ausgabe." In Welten der Sklaverei. Eine vergleichende Geschichte, edited by Paulin Ismard, 5–8. Berlin: Verlagshaus Jacoby & Stuart.
  • 2022. Afrika-Atlantik-Amerika. Sklaverei und Sklavenhandel in Afrika, auf dem Atlantik und in den Amerikas sowie in Europa. Dependency and Slavery Studies 2. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter. 
  • 2022. "Writing global histories of slavery." In Writing the History of Slavery, edited by David Stefan Doddington and Enrico Dal Lago, 41–57. London et al.: Bloomsbury Academic. 
  • 2021. Sklaverei. Eine Menschheitsgeschichte. Von der Steinzeit bis heute. 2nd rev. ed. Stuttgart: Reclam. [Spanish translation: Esclavitud. Una historia de la humanidad. Pamplona: Katakrak, 2018].
  • 2021. "The Atlantic and Atlantic Slavery, the Hidden Atlantic, and Capitalism." In The Atlantic and Africa. The Second Slavery and Beyond, edited by Tomich and Lovejoy, 65–105. Albany: SUNY Press. 
  • 2021. As editor. Humboldt, Alexander von, Diario Habana 1804. El diario original de Humboldt, escrito en La Habana, Zeuske, Michael (ed.), La Habana: Biblioteca Nacional de Cuba. 
  • 2019. Handbuch Geschichte der Sklaverei. Eine Globalgeschichte von den Anfängen bis heute. 2 vols. 2nd ed. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter. 
  • 2020. As editor. With Stephan Conermann. The Slavery/Capitalism Debate Global. From 'Capitalism and Slavery' to Slavery as Capitalism. Comparativ. Zeitschrift für Globalgeschichte und Vergleichende Gesellschaftsforschung 30(5/6). 
  • 2015. Sklavenhändler, Negreros und Atlantikkreolen. Eine Weltgeschichte des Sklavenhandels im atlantischen Raum. Berlin: De Gruyter.
  • 2014. Amistad. A Hidden Network of Slavers and Merchants. Princeton: Markus Wiener. 
  • 2014. With Javier Laviña. The Second Slavery. Mass Slaveries and Modernity in the Americas and in the Atlantic Basin. Sklaverei und Postemanzipation 6. Berlin: LIT-Verlag.
  • 2012. Simón Bolívar. History and Myth. Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers.
  • 2012. Die Geschichte der Amistad. Sklavenhandel und Menschenschmuggel auf dem Atlantik im 19. Jahrhundert. Stuttgart: Reclam.
  • 2008. Von Bolívar zu Chávez. Die Geschichte Venezuelas. Zurich: Rotpunktverlag.
  • 2006. Sklaven und Sklaverei in den Welten des Atlantiks, 1400–1940. Umrisse, Anfänge, Akteure, Vergleichsfelder und Bibliografien. Sklaverei und Postemanzipation 1. Berlin: LIT-Verlag.
  • 2004. Schwarze Karibik. Sklaven, Sklavereikultur und Emanzipation. Zurich: Rotpunktverlag.
  • 1995. Francisco de Miranda und die Entdeckung Europas. Eine Biographie. Hamburger Ibero-Amerika Studien 5. Munster: LIT-Verlag.