Bahar Bayraktaroğlu

Bahar Bayraktaroğlu is a PhD Researcher and Research Associate at the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS), University of Bonn, Germany. She currently serves as Deputy PhD Representative (2025) and previously held the role of PhD Representative (2022-2023), actively contributing to the center's community through an open-door policy and the Dependency Blog.

Her academic journey includes:

• Ph.D. in Oriental and Asian Studies, University of Bonn (since 2021)
• M.A. in History, Sabanci University, Turkey (2019–2021)
• B.A. in International Relations, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Turkey (2016–2019)
• B.A. in History, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Turkey (2013–2019)

Bayraktaroğlu's research centers on enslaved and dependent children in Late Ottoman Constantinople (1880-1910s), examining their resilience in urban settings, imperial households, and entertainment venues despite Ottoman engagement with international abolition movements. She employs asymmetrical dependency as an analytical framework to interrogate gender, intersectionality, agency, and ownership dynamics, bridging historical scholarship with contemporary theoretical discourse in slavery and gender studies.

Her publications reveal a cohesive focus on Ottoman socio-legal structures: the 2024 chapter analyzes early Ottoman military economics through religious and legal lenses, while the 2022 book review deconstructs social hierarchies in imperial contexts. These works collectively highlight her expertise in power dynamics, archival methodologies, and the intersection of law, religion, and dependency in pre-modern societies.

Her scholarly recognition includes:

• The Turkish Historical Association Scholarship for Master’s (2019–2021)
• Sabanci University %100 Tuition and Dormitory Fund (2019–2021)

Bayraktaroğlu's academic service spans teaching "Slaveries in the Ottoman World" at BCDSS (Winter 2024/25) and prior instruction at Sabanci University, alongside research support from BCDSS since 2022. Her Erasmus+ internships at Leiden University and active membership in Research Area E (Gender and Intersectionality) demonstrate her commitment to transnational academic collaboration and intersectional approaches to historical inquiry.

As a core member of the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies, she contributes to its interdisciplinary mission through the Dependency Blog, archival research initiatives like her immersive National Archives project, and leadership in PhD community building, positioning her at the forefront of contemporary slavery studies.