معرفی
Laura Dierksmeier is a Research Fellow at the Department of History, Faculty of Humanities, University of Tübingen. As a member of Collaborative Research Center 1070 'ResourceCultures', she specializes in comparative island studies and environmental history through projects like Inselökonomien – Eine vergleichende Studie von Insel-Gesellschaften im späten Mittelalter und in der Frühen Neuzeit. Her work bridges early modern Spain's colonial practices with contemporary resource management debates.
- University of Tübingen (PhD, MA, BA)
- Stonehill College & Simmons College (USA)
Research focuses on confraternity networks in colonial Mexico, indigenous knowledge transmission under Spanish rule, and preindustrial water management strategies in island societies. She examines how fluid cultural boundaries shaped religious autonomy and economic structures through comparative analysis of Caribbean and Canary Islands.
Recent publications analyze missionary science in Latin America, indigenous medical practices under Catholic frameworks, and historical water scarcity in volcanic island ecosystems. Her edited volume European Islands Between Isolated and Interconnected Life Worlds (2021) established interdisciplinary paradigms for island studies.
- Albert C. Outler Prize (2022) for best book on global Christianity
- Förderpreis für Medizingeschichte (2021)
- Bartolomé de las Casas Dissertation Prize (2017)
Teaching includes graduate seminars on colonial Latin American history, history of cartography, and missionary knowledge networks. She co-founded the Insularitäten research group (2017) and directs the DFG Island Studies Network (2021).
