Matthias Leanza
Matthias Leanza is a historical sociologist specialising in empires, colonialism and nation-state formation and is a senior lecturer at the University of Basel. In 2017, his dissertation received the Erasmus Prize for the Liberal Arts and Sciences. In 2019, he joined the Postdoc Network of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF) at Bielefeld University. He was a visiting scholar at the Leibniz Center for Literary and Cultural Research in Berlin, the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan. In 2020, he co-founded the Historical Sociology Working Group in the German Sociological Association.
A Nation Forged by Empire: The Hidden Legacy of German Colonialism
During his fellowship at global dis:connect, Matthias will complete his current book project on the legacy of German colonialism. Drawing on a wide range of sources from European and African archives, the study shows how and why the German overseas empire helped consolidate the nascent German nation-state. Germany soon lost its colonies, but their effects on the country persisted, leaving a complex legacy.
Have a look at Matthias’s research poster about his project.
Please click HERE to watch an interview with Matthias.