Transimperial history (TIH) is an emerging field situated at the interface of global history, empire studies, and postcolonial theory. By bringing different empires into one analytic field, the approach aims at reframing, decentralizing, and dynamizing empire studies. Therefore, TIH explores colonial competition, cooperation, and connectivity not as separate phenomena but as entangled processes of imperial transformation.  Moreover, TIH looks not only across empires but also beyond them. In doing so, it reflects on the legacy of colonialism, thus speaking to some of the most crucial political, economic, and social challenges we are facing today.

Transimperial History Lecture Series

The Transimperial History Lecture Series (THLS) is a hybrid lecture format organized on a regular basis by the Centre for Transimperial History at Leipzig University, in cooperation with international partners. The series focuses on scholarly exchange in the field of transimperial history at the intersection of global history, imperial history, and postcolonial theory. Rather than examining empires in isolation, transimperial history emphasizes their mutual entanglements and shared dynamics.

Aimed at an academic audience – including PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and senior scholars – the series provides a forum to discuss current research from global and comparative perspectives, while contributing to the methodological and theoretical development of the field.

All lectures take place on Wednesdays, from 5:15 – 6:45 pm at Room 5.55, Strohsackpassage, Nikolaistraße 6-10, Leipzig.
External guests are warmly invited to participate; all sessions are hybrid and can be accessed online via events.recentglobe.org/thls. 

Programm

16.4.2025
Transimperial History – A new approach to the Global
Daniel Hedinger, Nadin Heé, Matthias Middell, Stefan Rohdewald (all Leipzig)

7.5.2025
Trump and the Global Rise of Fascism
Daniel Hedinger (Leipzig)

14.5.2025
Integration and Collaborative Imperialism in Modern Europe: At the Margins of Empire, 1800–1950
Mikko Toivanen (Berlin)

21.5.2025
Securing Empire: Imperial Cooperation and Competition in the Nineteenth Century
Ozan Ozavci (Utrecht), Andrea Wiegeshoff (Marburg)

18.6.2025
(Post)colonial Cattle Frontiers: Capitalism, Science and Empire in Southern and Central Africa, 1890s–1970s
Samuël Coghe (Berlin)

9.7.2025
Belgrad und Zemun als historischer Mobilitätsraum zwischen zwei Imperien, 1739–1878 (in German)
Nenad Stefanov, Florian Riedler (Leipzig)

Objectives

Through its research and activities, the Centre endeavours to further transimperial history while making more visible and accessible all things transimperial.

Empires have all too often been studied in isolation, and many, especially non-European ones, have been rather marginalized. Countering this silo approach, the Centre advances the transimperial history approach of investigating the breadth and depth of empires.

By incorporating diverse perspectives, the Centre aims is to strengthen the dialogue between European and non-European as well as Global North and Global South institutions and scholars working on transimperial history.

Transimperial history has the potential to address a broad spectrum of global spaces and historical periods. The Centre promotes the field’s diversity by dedicating itself to interdisciplinary research approaches and projects that incorporate different perspectives.

Transimperial history is a field in the making and, as such, remains comparatively less institutionalized than other history fields. The Centre serves as a contact point for existing projects while helping to develop and support new ones.

The Centre develops innovative teaching tools for transimperial history, particularly for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, that merge analogue and digital approaches.

The Centre organizes the “Meet the Author” series for an interested public to introduce books that are breaking new ground within transimperial history. Furthermore, the “Research Showcase” series acts as a platform for young scholars to present their work. Both are organized in partnership with Doshisha University Kyoto.

Members

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PD Dr. Daniel Hedinger

Research Fellow

Leipzig Research Centre Global Dynamics (ReCentGlobe)
Strohsackpassage
Nikolaistraße 10, Room 5.20
04109 Leipzig

Phone: +49 341 97 - 37806

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Prof. Dr. Nadin Heé

Professor

Japanologie
Institutsgebäude
Schillerstraße 6, Room S 305
04109 Leipzig

Phone: 0049 341 97 37157

Office hours
Montags 11-12 Uhr, nach Vereinbarung per Email

Dr. Katja Castryck-Naumann

Dr. Katja Castryck-Naumann

Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe

Telephone: + 49 341 97-35585

Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Kaske

Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Kaske

Professor

Gesellschaft und Kultur des modernen China
Institutsgebäude
Schillerstraße 6, Room S 310
04109 Leipzig

Phone: +49 341 97 - 37152
Fax: +49 341 97 - 37159

Prof. Dr. Axel Körner

Prof. Dr. Axel Körner

Professor

Neuere Kultur- und Ideengeschichte
Geisteswissenschaftliches Zentrum
Beethovenstraße 15, Room 3.205
04107 Leipzig

Phone: +49 341 97 - 37087

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Megan Maruschke

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Megan Maruschke

Junior Professor

Global Studies (JP)
Institutsgebäude
Emil-Fuchs-Straße 1, Room 3.10
04105 Leipzig

Phone: +49 341 97 - 30235

Prof. Dr. Matthias Middell

Prof. Dr. Matthias Middell

Universitätsprofessor

Global and European Studies Institute
Institutsgebäude
Emil-Fuchs-Straße 1
04105 Leipzig

Phone: +49 341 97 - 30040
Fax: +49 341 97 - 31130040

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Pisarz-Ramirez

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Pisarz-Ramirez

Professor

American Studies/Minority Studies
Geisteswissenschaftliches Zentrum
Beethovenstraße 15, Room 3508
04107 Leipzig

Phone: +49 341 97 - 37343

Prof. Dr. Stefan Rohdewald

Prof. Dr. Stefan Rohdewald

Professor

Geschichte Ost- und Südosteuropas
Geisteswissenschaftliches Zentrum
Beethovenstraße 15, Room 5.202
04107 Leipzig

Phone: +49 341 97 - 37072

Prof. Dr. Julia Schmidt-Funke

Prof. Dr. Julia Schmidt-Funke

Professor

Geschichte der Frühen Neuzeit
Geisteswissenschaftliches Zentrum
Beethovenstraße 15, Room HS 5 2.04
04107 Leipzig

Phone: +49 341 97 - 37101
Fax: +49 341 97 - 37149

Office hours
https://moodle2.uni-leipzig.de/course/view.php?id=33145

Publications

Books:

Daniel Hedinger, Nadin Heé, Satoshi Mizutani (eds.), What is Transimperial History?, Columbia University Press, 2025/2026

Cyrus Schayegh, Daniel Hedinger, Nadin Heé, Damiano Matasci, Shellen Wu (eds.),  The Oxford Handbook of Modern Transimperial HIstory, OUP, 2025/2026.

Articles:

Daniel Hedinger, „Transimperial“, Christopher Balme, Burcu Dogramaci, Roland Wenzlhuemer (eds.), Dis:connectivity in Processes of Globalisation: Concepts, Terms and Practices, Berlin (De Gruyter),  2025.

Articles:

Daniel Hedinger, Nadin Heé: “Transimperial History. Connectivity, Cooperation, and Competition”, Journal of Modern European History, 2018.

Daniel Hedinger, “The imperial nexus. The Second World War and the Axis in global Perspective”, in: Journal of Global History 12,2 (2017), pp. 184–205.

Past Activities

  • 23 February 2025: 
    “The Possibility of the Nonhuman in Transimperial History: A Methodolocigal Inquiry” with Vicky Shen
  • 29 November 2024: 
    “European Trans-Imperial Corporate Cooperation in the French Colonies: The Eurafrican Illusion in Italy and West-Germany, 1950-1960” with Giovanni Costanaro

Partners

Center for Transimperial History, Doshisha University, Japan

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The Working Group on Trans/Anti-Imperialism, World History Center, University of Pittsburgh

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Working Group on Trans/Anti-Imperialism

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Imperial Entanglements Research Project, Italy

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Transimperial History Podcast

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