Registration ends 07.4.2026 at 23:59 h

This seminar explores the history of media and technology in the German colonial period, focusing on the printing press, the phonograph, and the film camera.
We will examine how these technologies shaped knowledge about Germany’s African colonies through practices of collecting, classification, and exhibition.
Particular attention will be given to the ways colonial media technologies contributed to imperial and racist ideologies, as well as how Africans adapted and reappropriated them for cultural expression and early nationalist movements. Finally, we will consider how the media objects housed in Germany’s colonial archives and museums continue to shape contemporary debates on restitution and cultural memory.

This course is appropriate for students interested in historical and academic research, future careers in collecting institutions (such as archives, libraries, and museums), and/or in engaging with essential readings on colonial history and postcolonial theory.

The course prepares students to:
- Navigate archival collections and conduct academic research in archives
- Produce detailed written analyses of archival and media objects
- Incorporate feedback to revise and improve written research
- Design and outline independent academic research projects based on archival materials

The focus of this course is on student-led, in-class object analysis and discussion. Students must prepare for these discussions independently by completing assigned readings.

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