Jonas Bens

Jonas Bens is a Heisenberg Professor of Anthropology at the University of Hamburg's Institute for Social and Cultural Anthropology. He previously held postdoctoral and research roles at institutions including Freie Universität Berlin and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focuses on legal anthropology, political anthropology, and the intersections of colonialism, capitalism, and modern statehood. Bens has authored influential works such as *The Indigenous Paradox* (2020) and *The Sentimental Court* (2022). He holds a PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology from the University of Bonn and a Habilitation from Freie Universität Berlin.

Research interests include sovereignty, justice, property, and punishment, with fieldwork in East Africa and the Americas. Awards include the German Research Foundation's Heisenberg Programme (2022) and the Bonn Americanist Studies Award (2012). His work explores affective dynamics in legal systems and colonial legacies in museums and property relations.