Immanuel R. Harisch

Immanuel R. Harisch is a historian affiliated with the University of Vienna's Research Platform for the Study of Transformations and Eastern Europe. His work focuses on global labor history, African trade unions, and Cold War-era East-South exchanges. As managing editor of the open-access journal Stichproben - Vienna Journal of African Studies, he contributes to African studies scholarship. His research explores African socialisms, the international labor movement, and historical knowledge production at African universities.

Harisch's current postdoctoral project investigates Yugoslav-Zambian relations through a case study of the Yugoslav workforce in postcolonial Zambia. He has published widely on topics such as GDR-Africa relations, East German trade with Angola, and the intellectual legacy of Walter Rodney. His work bridges labor history, decolonial studies, and transnational Cold War dynamics.

Key contributions include co-editing Navigating Socialist Encounters: Moorings and (Dis)Entanglements between Africa and East Germany during the Cold War (2021) and analyzing African trade unions' roles in global labor networks. His research methodologies emphasize archival innovation, including the use of social media platforms for African historical research.