Le corps allemand

GSA Seminar on The German Body and Self in Global Circuits of Knowledge and Practice, 1700-1945

Call for Papers


January 4, 2021 to January 28, 2021

Subject Fields:

German History / Studies, Race / Ethnic Studies, Sexuality Studies, Sport History / Studies, World History / Studies

We are looking for proposals for this seminar that will take place during the German Studies Association’s annual conference, 09/30-10/03, 2021. The seminar focuses on the body as a nexus for exploring the ways the German self was defined in global circuits of knowledge and practice (Treitel) between 1700-1945. Building on the existing work by historians, literary scholars, visual culture scholars on the global (Tautz, Hong) and the body (Dickinson, Zimmerman, Hau, George), we bring these diverse scholarly approaches together,focusing on the intersection of the body, self, and global. We invite scholars who are working on race, gender, dance, sports, medicine, sexuality, and other aspects of the body as they appear in the movement of ideas, exchange of goods, journeys of people, or literary and visual representations of the others or the exotic. We interrogate anthropological examinations of the self in science, philosophy, theology/religion, framed by imperial, medical, missionary projects.

Participants will prepare 3 page position papers that will be shared with the rest of the seminar participants and read before the seminar. The participants will give short 3-5 minute introductions to their topics, with the rest of the time devoted to comments and discussion. Papers will be shared by 31 August 2021.

The seminar is sponsored by the GSA Body Studies Network.

The enrollment of the GSA seminars starts 4 January 2021 and ends 28 January 2021. A valid membership of the GSA is required. Please submit your application for this seminar by 28 January 2021 at: https://www.xcdsystem.com/gsa/member

Contact Info:

Heikki Lempa, Moravian College

Contact Email:

lempah@moravian.edu