معرفی
Leah Gerfelmeyer is a Research Fellow at the University of Bayreuth, affiliated with the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS). Her work explores the intersection of media studies, colonial history, and industrialization through the lens of colonial commodities like cocoa and chocolate.
Her current project examines the entanglements between German colonialism in West Africa and the industrialization of chocolate production in Germany. By analyzing media dispositives such as colonial-era Lichtbildvorträge (slide lectures), chocolate advertisements, and machinery, she investigates how visual and material cultures shaped perceptions of mass-produced chocolate and its colonial origins.
Gerfelmeyer's research integrates postcolonial theory and infrastructure studies, aiming to uncover the socio-political implications of industrialization and automatisation in chocolate production. Her work highlights the ethical and economic dynamics of colonial plantations in Cameroon and German steam chocolate factories, questioning the commodification of labor and resources.
