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Jan Battenberg
PhD Candidate/Doctoral Student
E-Mail: jan.battenberg@uni-marburg.de
Doctoral Project
The research project aims to identify the presences, roles, contributions and agencies of First People(s) within the intercultural contexts of colonial exploring expeditions in North America in the 19th century. It examines the First People(s) and their active or passive support and resistance to those scientific and economic as well as diplomatic and military campaigns through the North American continent as decisive factors and conditions for the forms and the success of colonial exploration during different historical phases and geographical stages of US-American colonial expansion. Furthermore, it analyses the multiple scenarios and dynamics of cultural (first) contacts in a micro historical perspective that concentrates on the local dimensions and mechanisms of colonial exploration within the overall frame of continental colonisation and US-American empire building. By comparing various US-exploring expeditions and their individual forms of First Peoples-participations und influences the PhD-project asks for similarities, continuities and changes in the history of these complex intercultural interactions and illustrates the corresponding motives, activities and underlying imperial structures in the different processes of continental exploration. Based on the influential research about intercultural ‘intermediaries’ and ‘middle grounds’ as well as ‘border regions’ and ‘colonial biographies’ the project combines the latest approaches of the New Imperial History with the inspiring research on the First Peoples of the North American continent, that benefits from the highly innovative scientific results of the expanding New Indian History / North American Indian Studies. Additionally, it challenges and adapts the outdated narratives and traditional national myths of adventurous exploration or the so called “frontier” by highlighting the colonial and imperial characteristics of these famous and as well, until now, rather unknown US-American expeditions and their transforming contacts with the First Peoples throughout the 19th century continental North America
Curriculum Vitae
2018: graduation (Abitur) at the 'Gaußschule Gymansium am Löwenwall Braunschweig'
since October 2018: student of history (B.A. Geschichte/History) at Philipps University Marburg
since March 2020: student assistant at the chair of Prof. Dr. Benedict Stuchtey (19/20th century history)
since April 2022: student of history (M.A. Geschichte der Internationalen Politik/History of International Politics) at Philipps University Marburg
since May 2025 ongoing: PhD/doctoral candidate/student at the department of Modern History at the Faculty of History and Cultural Sciences at Marburg University (chair: Prof. Dr. Benedikt Stuchtey)
from October to March (winter semester) 2025/26: substitutional scientific researcher at the department of Early Modern History at the Faculty of History and Cultural Sciences at Philipps University Marburg (chair: Prof. Dr. Christoph Kampmann)
from April 2026 ongoing (summer semester): temporary adjuct lecturer (Lehrbeauftragter) at the Faculty of History and Cultural Sciences at Philipps University Marburg
Research Interests
Imperial Scientific and Explorational journeys and projects in the contexts of the European Colonisation (of North America)
Intercultural encounters and processes of interaction, exchange, adaptation and negotiation in Colonial scenarios of contact and conflict
History of the United States of America (until the end of the 19th century)
North American History (primarily from the 16/17th to the 19th century)
History (and present) of the First Peoples of the North American continent
History of the (First) British Empire and the 'European expansion'
Publications
Conference Review: Interculturalities in Imperial Spaces, in: H-Soz-Kult, 07.10.2025, https://www.hsozkult.de/conferencereport/id/fdkn-157787.
Published Paper: Indigene Akteur*innen zwischen wissenschaftlicher Erkundung und
imperialer Expansion. Zu Bedeutung und Einfluss der Native Americans während der Lewis-und-Clark-Expedition von 1804 bis 1806; in: Campus Historiae, Bd. 1, Dez. 2023, S. 129-160. (Online).Presentations
"Wanderungen zwischen den Welten – Die kolonialen Begegnungen von US-amerikanischen Erkundungsexpeditionen und First Peoples im (frühen) 19. Jahrhundert" – insights into the topic, concept and agenda of the dissertation project in the context of the Oberseminar und Forschungskolloquium zur Geschichte der Frühen Neuzeit at Philipps University Marburg, 22.10.2025.
"Winnetou dachte, Old Shatterhand wäre anders. Nicht wie die Menschen, die versuchen, unser Land zu nehmen. Er ist es aber nicht.“ Kolonial- und imperiengeschichtliche Perspektiven auf Momente und Formen interkultureller Begegnung in den Winnetou-Erzählungen." – presentation given as part of the workshop: History and Fiction: Imperiengeschichte(n) lesen und schreiben at the chair for Modern history, Prof. Dr. Benedikt Stuchtey, 28.6.2025.
"Furs, Frontier(s), and Forerunners - Zum Konzept einer Kolonialgeschichte ausgewählter Akteure im Pelzhandel und in den Erkundungen Nordamerikas während der imperialen Expansion der USA im 19. Jahrhundert" – introduction to the Master Thesis in the course of the Marburger Oberseminar/Forschungskolloquiums "Vergleichende Imperiengeschichte im 19./20. Jahrhundert" at the chair for Modern history, Prof. Dr. Benedikt Stuchtey, 25.6.2024.
"Begegnungen zwischen wissenschaftlicher Erkundung und imperialer Expansion – Die Lewis und Clark Expedition (1804-1806) und der Einfluss sowie die Bedeutung indigener Akteur*innen" – in the context of the public conference "Die Erfassung der
Welt und die Vermessung des Wissens Eine transnationale Geschichte des Kolonialismus und seiner Krisen seit dem späten 18. Jahrhundert" at the Akademie für politische Bildung, Tutzing, 17.-19. Juni 2022."The Swedish Intelligencer (1632/33) - Ein englisches Nachrichtenbuch über Schweden im Dreißigjährigen Krieg" – introduction to the topic of the Bachelor Thesis in the Oberseminar und Forschungskolloquium zur Geschichte der Frühen Neuzeit at Philipps University Marburg, 17.11.2021.
Selected teaching
winter semester 2024: accompanying tutorial course (in English) to the seminar (Hauptseminar) "London and the British Empire, 1780-1920" (as part of the international study program ISUP by the International Office at Marburg University)
winter semester 2025/26: introductory course (Proseminar) for beginning and early stage students "Werkzeuge imperialer Expansion oder Ausdruck indigener Handlungsmacht? Diplomatische Beziehungen zwischen kolonialen Akteuren und First Peoples in Nordamerika (16.-18./19.Jh.)", four hours per week / held together with Moritz Kläger
summer semester 2026 (ongoing): introductory course (Proseminar) for beginning and early stage students "Imperiale Expansion, interkultureller Kontakt und "indigener" Widerstand - Koloniale Konflikte und diplomatische Begegnungen in Nordamerika (ca. 1776-1830)", four hours per week
Memberships
2022 – 2024: elected member of the Fachschaftsrat (FSR) of the Aktive Fachschaft Geschichte Marburg (student association at the Faculty for History and Cultural Sciences)
2021-2023: elected member of the Fachbereichsrat (FBR) at the Faculty for History and Cultural Sciences
2019-2023: elected member of the Studienausschuss at the Faculty for History and Cultural Sciences
2020-2024: elected member of the Studienkommission at the Faculty for History and Cultural Sciences
2021-2024: elected member of the Wahlausschuss at the Faculty for History and Cultural Sciences
elected student participant in the Habilitations-Kommissionen (committees for approval of habilitation) of Prof. Dr. Isabella Löhr (in 2021) and PD Dr. Christian Wenzel (in 2023/24)
since 2025: elected member of the Promotionsausschuss at the Faculty for History and Cultural Sciences
Selected further activities and projects
Organisation of the talk by Dr. Takuma Melber (Heidelberg): "Alle Menschen werden Brüder": Einblicke in die Geschichte deutscher Kriegsgefangener in Japan, 1914-1920“, given at the Faculty of History and Cultural Sciences at Marburg University, 18.1.2024.
Organisation and conceptualisation of the independent podcast project "Im Gespräch mit Historiker*innen" (2020-2023) at the faculty of history and cultural sciences at Marburg University, hosted by former members of the student association (Aktive Fachschaft Geschichte Marburg).
Organisation and conceptualisation of an extracurricular colloquium for students in their qualification and exam phases (BA, MA, teaching education) for the presentation and discussion of their scientific research papers / theses (Faculty of History and Cultural Sciences, Marburg University / summer semester 2024).
Temporary work at the Hessisches Institut für Landesgeschichte Marburg (HIL) as short time support/assistant for the LAGIS project in winter 2024.