About
Julia Binter is a Professor at the University of Bonn, holding the Argelander Professorship for Critical Museum and Heritage Studies. A social anthropologist with a background in theatre, film, and media studies, she specializes in material culture, postcolonial theory, and transdisciplinary collaboration, focusing on colonial entanglements in museums and heritage practices. Her work bridges academia, art, activism, and cultural heritage communities to reshape knowledge production and address historical inequities.
Education:
- Social and Cultural Anthropology and Theatre, Film, and Media Studies at the University of Vienna and École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris
- DPhil in Anthropology from the University of Oxford (2020), supported by an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award and Wiener-Anspach Doctoral Fellowship
Her research explores the decolonization of museums through projects like Confronting Colonial Pasts, Envisioning Creative Futures (Gerda Henkel Foundation) and Artistic Research and Communal Knowledge (Heinrich Böll Foundation). The Heritage of Mission line examines missionary collections’ colonial legacies, while Heritage Ecologies investigates human-environment interactions via botanic gardens and collections. She co-curates exhibitions such as Dressing Resistance. Fashion and the Heritage of Mission and Global Entanglements (University of Bonn, 2024).
Her publications analyze colonial histories, restitution practices, and transdisciplinary methodologies, emphasizing ethical curation and equitable dialogue. Projects span Nigeria, Namibia, Germany, and Great Britain, addressing heritage in film, theatre, visual arts, and fashion.
Scientific Awards:
- AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award
- Wiener-Anspach Doctoral Fellowship
- Godfrey Lienhardt Travel Grant
- Caird Short-Term Research Fellowship
Binter lectures at the University of Vienna and collaborates with institutions like the Ethnologisches Museum Berlin, Haus Völker und Kulturen, and the University of Bonn’s Global Heritage Lab. She co-founded the Colonial Ports and Global History network at TORCH (Oxford) and contributes to academic societies such as DGSKA, EASA, and the AG Koloniale Provenienzen.
Research fields
