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Decol06b


Territoriality and epidemics in colonial African history: visual representations of a dynamic phenomenon II 
Convenors:
Claudia Berger (Erfurt University)
Stephanie Zehnle (University of Kiel)
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Discussants:
Claudia Berger (Erfurt University)
Sarah Ehlers (Deutsches MuseumLMU Munich)
Perseverence Madhuku (University of Bayreuth)
Klemens Wedekind (Hildesheim University)
Dennis Yazici (Kiel University)
Format:
Panel
Stream:
Linguistic and visual (de)colonialisms
Location:
Room 1015
Sessions:
Wednesday 8 June, -
Time zone: Europe/Berlin

Short Abstract:

This panel explores the rarely discussed connection between human and/or animal disease and media visualisation, particularly cartography, in Africa's past.

Long Abstract:

Epidemic diseases on the African continent were a defining theme of European colonialism. Firstly, epidemics were fuelled by different variants of colonial mobility and activities, secondly, some epidemics opposed colonisation by weakening and killing European staff and livestock, and thirdly epidemics served as a legitimising argument in favour of colonisation. The reality of epidemic diseases for humans and animals, as well as the representation of the 'nature - culture' nexus in visual media, will be discussed in this panel. To what extent, for example, did the need to be able to assess the risk of such diseases for expansion and economic exploitation influence mapping strategies found in colonial cartography? Which kind of visualisation strategies did authors of colonial cartography choose, and what kind of human-animal relations were they based on? How was cartography influenced by other genres of colonial scientific and health communication? Which perceptions of territoriality were supported or contradicted by the maps or by the experience on the ground? This panel takes a multi-perspective approach to the problem of epidemic diseases in a colonial African setting and invites us to take a closer look at colonial visualisation strategies concerning disease and the environment.

Accepted papers:

Session 1 Wednesday 8 June, 2022, -