We are delighted to welcome Prof Dr Peter Mark as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at the Frobenius Institute. Peter Mark is Professor Emeritus at Wesleyan University and, as an art historian, combines historical and anthropological methods. In May 2025, he will be at the Forschungskolleg in Bad Homburg to devote himself to a new book project on the history of Senegambia in the early contact period (1400-1600) as part of his fellowship. Peter Mark emphasises that today the study and teaching of history is increasingly under attack from political demagogues. In his view, the traditional monograph he had originally envisaged would not do justice to the current authoritarian political reality. A more reflective and personal approach therefore seems appropriate to him. He now has a résumé in mind, not only of decades of scholarship, but also of his life in academia. When he reflects on the Senegambian societies that have been the subject of his research, he is struck by their particular way of integrating outsiders into local communities. In his view, these cultures represent alternative models of social interaction and religious co-operation, which he now intends to write about. We look forward to an academic exchange with him!
Photo: Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften
