Julia Schmidt

Julia Schmidt is a PhD Researcher at the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS), University of Bonn, Germany, where she has worked since 2021. Her research examines asymmetrical dependencies in early modern Europe through gender, knowledge production, and labor dynamics, with a focal case study on Antonia Forster (1758–1823), a transnational educator who built networks across European academic and political elites.

Her academic background includes:

• PhD Candidate at BCDSS, University of Bonn (2021–present)
• MA in Public Archaeology, University College London (2019–2020), thesis: 'Development-led Archaeology and Public Benefit: A case study of effectiveness'
• BA in History and Prehistoric Archaeology, Freie Universität Berlin (2016–2019)
• ERASMUS+ exchange, Uppsala Universitet, Sweden (2018–2019)

Her research integrates Dependency Studies and Slavery Studies with early modern European social history, emphasizing how non-elite actors like educators navigated power structures. By analyzing Antonia Forster's transnational networks, she reveals intersections of gendered labor, knowledge circulation, and informal dependencies that shaped intellectual and political landscapes—challenging traditional narratives centered on male elites.

Her publication record demonstrates interdisciplinary methodology blending archaeological, historical, and literary analysis. The 2022 co-authored article in Public Archaeology examines Kipling's work through landscape archaeology and nationalist discourse, reflecting her approach to deconstructing cultural narratives about power and identity through material and textual evidence.

Research funding and recognition:

• DAAD Jahresstipendium für Graduierte aller wissenschaftlichen Fächer (2019–2020)
• ERASMUS+ Scholarship for Uppsala Universitet exchange (2018–2019)

As a doctoral researcher, she has not yet supervised formal advisees. Her work is embedded within BCDSS's institutional framework, supported by center resources and prior competitive grants. She actively contributes to collaborative projects including the 'Child Slaveries in the Early Modern World' workshop and Early Modern Colloquium Series.

She operates within Team Claudia Jarzebowski at BCDSS, participating in interdisciplinary research groups focused on historical slavery and dependency structures. Her work involves collaboration with international scholars like George Moshenska, as evidenced by her co-authored publication, and leverages BCDSS's networks for transnational historical analysis.