THE PRODUCTION OF COLONIAL HISTORIOGRAPHY
THE PRODUCTION OF COLONIAL HISTORIOGRAPHY
Frankfurt University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
October 4th and 5th, 2010.
The understanding of colonial history has considerably changed over
the last three decades. A new awareness of dynamics of global
dominance, resistance, cultural encounters is strictly tied to
renovation in historical studies. In emerging disciplines such as
world history, global history, the new imperial history, Atlantic
history, socio-history, interconnected and transnational approaches to
history have challenged nineteenth and twentieth-centuries narratives
of European colonial expansion.
This ‘epistemological turn’ discloses the need for a scrutiny of the
transformations of historical-oriented analyses of colonialism: on the
one hand, the production of colonial historiography was part of the
development of the European colonial empires themselves; on the other
hand, the writing and re-writing of colonial history still remains
pivotal to our assessment of these empire-building processes. The
reconsideration of trajectories of historical knowledge in the long
run is thus crucial to our understanding of colonial dynamics and
their impact on European culture; this approach also helps historians
gain awareness in their attempts to cope with the legacies of colonial
history. Furthermore, a closer examination of recent trends in
historical analyses of colonization is needed in order to assess the
capacity of attending to the historical complexities without simply
superimposing new narratives to the former ones.
Starting from these premises, this workshop aims to explore the
transformations in colonial historiography in two directions: a) the
conditions, purposes and practices that directed and still direct the
production of historically-oriented analyses of colonial processes. b)
the capacity of producing knowledge, i.e. the construction and
presentation of objects and topics of historical analysis.
The reassessment of relationships between historical knowledge and
colonial rule informs the background of this workshop. The purpose is
to provide a deeper and non-teleological understanding of the
asymmetries between intellectual culture and the enforcement of
colonial rule by unraveling the complex set of interconnections and
tensions between them. The point at stake is not only to unveil the
instrumental uses of historical discourses for colonial dominance, nor
to rehabilitate the capacity to produce criticism. Further topics to
be addressed are:
a) the functioning or malfunctioning of different narratives of
colonization in the context of the dynamics of European overseas
expansion. This analysis focuses on the invention of narratives of
national overseas expansion within the spaces of European empires from
16th century up to the 21st century.
b) the economical, political, social, cultural issues that were taken
into account by these narratives, and other issues that were discarded;
c) the conditions, institutions, networks and circulation of
information on which the production of historical knowledge depended.
d) the transformations of history as discipline, from the seventeenth
century onwards.
e) the legacies of historical narratives, and recent attempts to
overcome them;
f) Exchanges, goods, and spaces. Contributions on these subjects
provide insights or raise questions on historical science’s capacity
to get new or better knowledge of colonial world and its relation to
the metropole in a global context: circulations of people, goods,
money, ideas, manners.
Paper proposals (500 words, maximum) and a 1-page CV (with full
contact details) should be sent via e-mail to or by mail to: J. W.
Goethe Universität, Historisches Seminar, IGK “Politische
Kommunikation”, Grüneburgplatz 1, D - 60323 Frankfurt am Main,
Deutschland. Complete proposals must be received by May 7th.
The languages of the workshop are English and French. Proposal from
young scholars at a well-advanced stage of research are welcomed. The
workshop is organized by the Internationales Graduiertenkolleg
“Politische Kommunikation” and by the Exzellenzcluster “Die
Herausbildung normativer Ordnungen” of the J.W. Goethe University,
Frankfurt.
Marco Platania,
IGK "Politische Kommunikation"
Historisches Seminar
Grüneburgplatz 1
60323, Frankfurt am Main
Deutschland
Phone +49 (0)69 798 32592
Fax: +49 (0)69 798 32596
Email: workshop.colonial@googlemail.com
Frankfurt University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
October 4th and 5th, 2010.
The understanding of colonial history has considerably changed over
the last three decades. A new awareness of dynamics of global
dominance, resistance, cultural encounters is strictly tied to
renovation in historical studies. In emerging disciplines such as
world history, global history, the new imperial history, Atlantic
history, socio-history, interconnected and transnational approaches to
history have challenged nineteenth and twentieth-centuries narratives
of European colonial expansion.
This ‘epistemological turn’ discloses the need for a scrutiny of the
transformations of historical-oriented analyses of colonialism: on the
one hand, the production of colonial historiography was part of the
development of the European colonial empires themselves; on the other
hand, the writing and re-writing of colonial history still remains
pivotal to our assessment of these empire-building processes. The
reconsideration of trajectories of historical knowledge in the long
run is thus crucial to our understanding of colonial dynamics and
their impact on European culture; this approach also helps historians
gain awareness in their attempts to cope with the legacies of colonial
history. Furthermore, a closer examination of recent trends in
historical analyses of colonization is needed in order to assess the
capacity of attending to the historical complexities without simply
superimposing new narratives to the former ones.
Starting from these premises, this workshop aims to explore the
transformations in colonial historiography in two directions: a) the
conditions, purposes and practices that directed and still direct the
production of historically-oriented analyses of colonial processes. b)
the capacity of producing knowledge, i.e. the construction and
presentation of objects and topics of historical analysis.
The reassessment of relationships between historical knowledge and
colonial rule informs the background of this workshop. The purpose is
to provide a deeper and non-teleological understanding of the
asymmetries between intellectual culture and the enforcement of
colonial rule by unraveling the complex set of interconnections and
tensions between them. The point at stake is not only to unveil the
instrumental uses of historical discourses for colonial dominance, nor
to rehabilitate the capacity to produce criticism. Further topics to
be addressed are:
a) the functioning or malfunctioning of different narratives of
colonization in the context of the dynamics of European overseas
expansion. This analysis focuses on the invention of narratives of
national overseas expansion within the spaces of European empires from
16th century up to the 21st century.
b) the economical, political, social, cultural issues that were taken
into account by these narratives, and other issues that were discarded;
c) the conditions, institutions, networks and circulation of
information on which the production of historical knowledge depended.
d) the transformations of history as discipline, from the seventeenth
century onwards.
e) the legacies of historical narratives, and recent attempts to
overcome them;
f) Exchanges, goods, and spaces. Contributions on these subjects
provide insights or raise questions on historical science’s capacity
to get new or better knowledge of colonial world and its relation to
the metropole in a global context: circulations of people, goods,
money, ideas, manners.
Paper proposals (500 words, maximum) and a 1-page CV (with full
contact details) should be sent via e-mail to or by mail to: J. W.
Goethe Universität, Historisches Seminar, IGK “Politische
Kommunikation”, Grüneburgplatz 1, D - 60323 Frankfurt am Main,
Deutschland. Complete proposals must be received by May 7th.
The languages of the workshop are English and French. Proposal from
young scholars at a well-advanced stage of research are welcomed. The
workshop is organized by the Internationales Graduiertenkolleg
“Politische Kommunikation” and by the Exzellenzcluster “Die
Herausbildung normativer Ordnungen” of the J.W. Goethe University,
Frankfurt.
Marco Platania,
IGK "Politische Kommunikation"
Historisches Seminar
Grüneburgplatz 1
60323, Frankfurt am Main
Deutschland
Phone +49 (0)69 798 32592
Fax: +49 (0)69 798 32596
Email: workshop.colonial@googlemail.com