Benjamin Brendel

Dr. Benjamin Brendel is a Post-doctoral Researcher and Assistant to Prof. Dr. Eckart Conze at Philipps-Universität Marburg's Department of Contemporary History. His research focuses on the history of security, divergent societal perceptions, environmental and health infrastructure, and transnational historical contexts. He holds a PhD from Justus-Liebig University (JLU) Giessen and has conducted extensive postdoctoral work on pesticide safety perceptions in Germany from 1880 to 1990.

Education: BA/MA in History and Political Science (Universities of Tübingen, Cork, Freiburg). His postdoctoral project explores pesticide controversies through a security lens, analyzing tensions between food security and public health concerns. He has taught over 20 courses/seminars and published widely on topics ranging from dam construction histories to Cold War-era health policies.

Research highlights include studies on the Grand Coulee Dam's impact on Indigenous communities, Francoist Spain's infrastructure politics, and Egypt's mid-20th century health initiatives. His work intersects environmental history, colonial studies, and transnational knowledge exchange, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to historical analysis.