Pia Wiegmink
© Gregor Hübl / Uni Bonn

Pia Wiegmink

The Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) Cluster of Excellence investigates profound social dependency relations—such as slavery, serfdom, debt bondage, and other forms of enduring dependency—across epochs, regions, and cultures, guided by the key concept of "Strong Asymmetrical Dependency" (SAD). Prof. Dr. Pia Wiegmink is a member of the three-person spokesperson team.

Take responsibility for various issues

Serving as co-spokesperson for a Cluster of Excellence entails more than just responsibility for the use of public funds, the support of early-career researchers, and consultation with colleagues willing and able to collaborate; it also offers the wonderful privilege of having the time and space to dedicate oneself to complex, long-term questions in order to advance society—in our case, within the field of dependencies.

Prof. Dr. Pia Wiegmink bei We Are Uni Bonn

Bild © Universität Bonn / YouTube

Exploring the perspective of the enslaved   

Sources documenting states of dependency generally originate from the very people who forced others into such conditions. To investigate and shed light on the lives of those held in dependency, the perspectives of the individuals themselves are required. What, then, can be done when the dependency manifests precisely in the fact that these people were denied the opportunity to learn to read and write—meaning that no written records from the enslaved individuals themselves exist?