Richard Legay

Dr. Richard Legay is a Lecturer in French Studies at the University of Göttingen and an associated researcher at the University of Freiburg's Abteilung für Soziologie und Sozialwissenschaften (ABI-Freiburg). He holds a PhD in History from the University of Luxembourg (2020), followed by postdoctoral research at the C²DH and Tübingen University. His work focuses on Franco-German memory politics, colonial heritage restitution, and the history of 1960s commercial radio. He has published extensively on transnational media networks, public history practices, and decolonial approaches to cultural heritage.

Education:

• PhD in History (2020): University of Luxembourg, supervised by Prof. Andreas Fickers
• M.Phil in Public History & Cultural Heritage (2016): Trinity College Dublin
• Master in Contemporary European History (2015): University of Luxembourg
• Bachelor in History & Geography (2013): Université de Lorraine

Research Interests:

• Memory politics and colonial restitution in Africa/Europe
• Radio history and intermediality in the 1960s
• Public history methodologies and decolonial practices
• Transnational cultural networks and postcolonial studies

Grants & Projects:

• Frankreich-Zentrum Grant (2024-2025): Franco-German colonial memory comparison
• FIAT/IFTA Media Studies Grant (2024): Audiovisual archives and restitution
• De/Coloniality Now Initiative (2023-2024): African cultural heritage return

He collaborates with networks like IAMHIST, EMHIS, and the Africa Centre for Transregional Research (ACT).

Labs/Teams: Active in the GRK 2571 'Empires' research group at Freiburg and co-leads student-led projects on colonial memory zines.