Union in Separation. Trading Diasporas in the Eastern Mediterranean (1200-1700)

Union in Separation. Trading Diasporas in the Eastern Mediterranean (1200-1700)

Veranstalter
Trading Diasporas Research Group, Transcultural Studies, Heidelberg University
Veranstaltungsort
Hochschule für Jüdische Studien, Alte Aula der Alten Universität, Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften
Ort
Heidelberg
Land
Deutschland
Vom - Bis
17.02.2011 - 19.02.2011
Von
Anna Katharina Angermann

“Union in Separation” is a three-day international conference hosted by the Transcultural Studies Programme at the University of Heidelberg. The conference focuses on transcultural diasporic communities in the medieval Mediterranean with specific respect to their role in trade between perceived separate cultural areas.

The term “transculturality” tends to be used to designate the hybrid character of modern-day societies and to ultimately argue that separate cultural units (defined as the sum of elements that characterise the aggregate identity of a society) do not exist. However, regardless of whether it is possible to speak of separate ‘cultures’, they certainly persist in peoples’ mind. These mindsets, their making and their impact on societies is what historians should investigate.

The study of Mediterranean diasporas lends itself well to this endeavour, as it allows to understand the construction and deconstruction of cultural differences as well as the potential integration into a host culture. In order to analyse these processes, we suggest exploring commercial exchange and its legal framework as two interrelated phenomena.

Medieval Mediterranean trading diasporas, such as Venetian merchants resident in Mamluk Alexandria, operated both within and outside formal legal structures. However, their status as religious minorities also posed strong challenges to their business. For instance, far-reaching privileges granted by the Sultan to Christian merchants coexisted with, and were frequently challenged by, orthodox Islamic law or local legal practice. Thus, a primary interest of historical transcultural research is to gather evidence on informal mechanisms that facilitated trade-given cultural hurdles. This will shed light on the form and scope of cultural exchange.

The conference will bring together academics from a wide variety of fields, including medieval studies, economic history, legal history, and cultural studies.

Programm

Thursday, 17 February 2011

9.00 Registration

10.00 Welcome Opening Remarks Georg Christ (Universität Heidelberg, Germany)

Opening Lecture
“Cross-cultural Transfers of Industrial Technologies in the Late Middle Ages: incentives, promoters and agents” David Jacoby (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)

11.15 Coffee

Session 1 (11.30-13.30)

1A. Diasporas and Imperial Rule in the 13th C. Aegean
[Organiser: Stefan Burkhardt; Chair: Jörg Peltzer]

11.30 “In quest of (trading) diasporas in the Byzantine states of Epiros and Trebizond ca. 1210-1304” Günther Prinzing (Universität Mainz, Germany)

11.50 “Merchants in the Crusader States” Krijnie Ciggaar (Universiteit Leiden, Netherlands)

12.10 “The Empire of Nicaea (1204-1261): A Transcultural Society?” Ekaterini Mitsiou (Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften /Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria)

12.30 “Negotium Graecorum – Trade as Theory and Practice in Ecclesiastical Contacts between the West and the World of Late Byzantium” Dimitrios Moschos (University of Athens, Greece )

12.50 “Practices of Integration and Segregation: Armenian Trading Diasporas and Their Interaction with the Genoese and Venetian Colonies in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea, 1289-1484” Alexandr Osipian (Kramatorsk Institute of Economics and Humanities, Ukraine)

13.10 Discussion

1B. Early Modern Italy’s Diasporas I
[Organisers: Wolfgang Kaiser, Roberto Zaugg; Chair: Wolfgang Kaiser; Discussant: Roberto Zaugg]

11.30 “Between diasporas: the Netherlandish traders in Venice, c. 1580 – 1650” Maartje van Gelder (Universiteit van Amsterdam, Netherlands)

12.00 “Osmanli speaking diasporas. Between Marseilles, Tunis and Livorno (1600-1650)” Guillaume Calafat (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France)

12.30 “A World in Motion: Inter-Communal Exchanges and the Shaping of the Greek Diaspora, c.1770-c.1830” Mathieu Grenet (European University Institute, Italy)

13.00 Discussion

13.30 Lunch break

14.15 Presentation of the Medieval Mediterranean Diasporas Database Project

Session 2 (15.00 -17.00)

2.A Diasporic Groups in Mamluk Egypt 1300-1450 I
[Organiser: Anna Katharina Angermann; Chair: John L. Meloy]

15.00 “A Muslim of Turkish origin kept prisoner on a Genoese ship in the port of Alexandria. A transcultural encounter according to Al-Nuwayrî’s Kitâb al-Ilmâm” Anna K. Angermann (Universität Heidelberg, Germany)

15.20 “Byzantine Saints as Captives in Mamluk Egypt and Ottoman Anatolia” Johannes Pahlitzsch (Universität Mainz, Germany)

15.40 “At the Fringe of a Diaspora: Venetian Agents between Alexandria and Cairo” Francisco Apellániz (University of Provence Aix-Marseille I, France)

16.00 “Between Trade and Religion: Italian Merchants in Mamluk Cairo” Giuseppe Cecere (IFAO,Cairo, Egypt)

16.20 Discussion

2.B Early Modern Italy‘s Diasporas II
[Organisers: Wolfgang Kaiser, Roberto Zaugg; Chair: Roberto Zaugg; Discussant: Wolfgang Kaiser]

15.00 “Merchants of the Adriatic: The Jadertine trading community, circa 1550” Stephan Sander (Universität Zürich, Switzerland)

15.30 “The Office of the Jewish Consul in the Early Modern Mediterranean. A Study in the Exchange of Legal and Economic Concepts” Daniel Jütte (Universität Heidelberg, Germany)

16.00 “The Armenian Trading Diaspora in Venice and the Trade of Luxury Goods in the 17th century” Evelyn Korsch (Technische Universität Dresden, Germany)

16.30 Discussion

19.00 Keynote Lecture (Auditorium, Alte Universität, 2nd floor)
Benjamin Arbel (Tel Aviv University, Israel), “Mediterranean Jewish Diasporas and the Bill of Exchange: Coping with a Foreign Financial Instrument (15th-17th centuries)”
Chair: Georg Christ (Universität Heidelberg, Germany)

20:00 Reception (Bel Étage, Alte Universität)

Friday, 18 February 2011

Session 3. 9.00- 11.00:

3A.Diasporic Groups in Mamluk Egypt 1300-1450 II
[Organiser: Anna Katharina Angermann, Chair: Giuseppe Cecere]

9.00 “Reflections on the Mamluk Destruction of Acre (1291)” Peter Edbury (Prifysgol Caerdydd, Cardiff University, Wales, UK)

9.20 “Why Venice, not Genoa. How Venice emerged as the Mamluks’ favourite European Trading Partner after 1365” Albrecht Fuess (Universität Marburg, Germany)

9.40 “Getting to Know the World of Trading Diasporas in Mamluk Egypt: Felice Brancacci’s Account of his Embassy to the Sultan on Behalf of Florence (1422)” Cristian Caselli (Università di Pisa, Italy)

10.00 "The influence of papal policy on the Italian merchants and Turkish maritime emirates in the Aegean: 1300-1350” Mike Carr (Royal Holloway, University of London, UK)

10.20 Discussion

3 B. Trade Networks in the Later Middle Ages I
[Organisers: Lars Börner, F.-J. Morche; Chair: N/N]

9.00 “Epidemic Trade” Lars Börner (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany) and Battista Sergnini (Copenhagen Business School, Denmark)

9.20 “Markets from Networks – Commercial Networks and the Constitution of Preindustrial Markets” Christof Jeggle (Universität Bamberg, Germany)

9.40 "Bills of Exchange, Financial Networks, and Quasi-Impersonal Exchange in Western Europe and the Middle East" Jared Rubin (California State University, Fullerton, U.S.A.)

10.00 “Social and Economic Networks: an Overview” Sergio Currarini (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia, Italy)

10.20 Discussion

11.00 Coffee

Session 4 . 11.15 – 13.15:

4A. Diasporic Communities in Rhodes I
[Organiser: Teresa Sartore Senigaglia/ Chair: David Jacoby]

11.15 “Non-isolated Islands: diplomatic relations between Venice and Rhodes in the first decade of the xv century” Teresa Sartore Senigaglia (Universität Heidelberg, Germany)

11.35 “Mixed Identities on Hospitaller Rhodes” Anthony Luttrell (Independent scholar, England, UK)

11.55 “The Influential Trade Community of Western Merchants in Hospitallers Rhodes During The Fifteenth Century, 1421-1480” Pierre Bonneaud (Independent scholar, France)

12.15 “Muslims and Jews on Hospitaller Rhodes” Jürgen Sarnowsky (Universität Hamburg, Germany)

12.35 Discussion

4B. Trade Networks in the Later Middle Ages II
[Organisers: Lars Börner, F.-J. Morche; Chair: Albrecht Ritschl]

11.15 “How to Trust a Stranger: Evidence from the Sephardic Diaspora and its Cross-Cultural Networks in the Early Modern Period” Yadira González de Lara (Universidad de Alicante, Spain/ Stanford University, U.S.A), joint with Francesca Trivellato (Yale University, U.S.A.)

11.35 “Was there a market for institutional solutions in pre-modern Europe? Multifunctionality and complementarity in pre-modern commercial institutions” Regina Grafe (Northwestern University, U.S.A.)

11.55 “Business Networks as Complex Systems – Venetian Merchants in the Eastern Mediterranean, 1400-1420” Franz-Julius Morche (Universität Heidelberg, Germany)

12.15 “The Impact of Social History and Geography on the Development of Long-Distance Trade: A Laboratory Investigation” Erik O. Kimbrough (Universiteit Maastricht, Netherlands)

12.35 Discussion

13.15 Lunchbreak

14.15 Poster Session

Session 5. 15-17

5A. Diasporic Communities in Rhodes II – Historical Context
[Organiser: Teresa Sartore Senigaglia; Chair: Anthony Luttrell]

15.00 “L’insertion de l’Ordre de Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem en Méditerranée orientale entre les deux sièges de Rhodes (1480-1522)” Nicolas Vatin (École des hautes études en sciences socials, France)

15.30 “The Controversy for the «Eighth Ecumenical Council» and the position of Metropolitan Neilos of Rhodes (XV c.)” Ioannis Panagiotopoulos (University of Athens, Greece)

16.00 “Some aspects of the Venetian presence in Trebizond in the fourteenth century” Angeliki Tzavara (Istituto Ellenico di Studi Bizantini e Post-bizantini,Venice, Italy)

16.30 Discussion

5.B From Venice to India: Networks, Diasporas and Transcultural Flows [Organiser: Georg Christ; Chair: N/N]

15.00 “Trading Diasporas in the Venetian and Genoese Trading Stations in Tana, 1430 – 1440: A Case Study” Ievgen Khvalkov (Central European University, Hungary)

15.30 “Morisco refugees' relations with Venetian and French trading and diplomatic communities in Istanbul, 1570s-early 1600s” Tjana Krstic (Central European University, Hungary)

16.00 “The Venetian Diaspora and the European-Asian Trade during the Late 16th Century” Andrea Caracausi (Università Ca’Foscari Venezia, Italy)

16.30 Discussion

18.00 Panel Discussion (Conference Hall, Heidelberg Academy of Sciences) with Douglas Murray, Regina Grafe, Dirk Heirbaut, Arthur Becker, Jae Chung (moderator), Roberto Zaugg
Word of welcome: Prof. Dr. Stefan Weinfurter, Akademie der Wissenschaften/Inst. für fränkisch-pfälzische Landesgeschichte, Historisches Seminar, Universität Heidelberg.
Introduction: Georg Christ

20.00 Conference Dinner (all participants; Haus Buhl)

Saturday 19 February 2011

Session 6. 10-12:

6.A Legal Pluralism and Diasporic Communities in Historical Perspective [Organiser: Teresa Sartore Senigaglia; Chair: Dirk Heirbaut]

10.00 “The socio-legal adaptation of British immigrants in Turkey: A theoretical puzzle” Derya Bar joint with Prakash Shah (Queen Mary, University of London, UK)

10.30 “A Patchwork of Accommodations”: the Law and Other Legalities in Eighteenth-century Irland Seán P. Donlan (Ollscoil Luimnigh, Irland)

11.00 “Sub-saharan diasporas in Malta: the legal ‘othering’ of the foreigner” David Zammit (L-Università ta' Malta, Malta)

11.30 Discussion

6.B From Venice to Tana: Networks, Diasporas and Transcultural Flows [Organiser: Georg Christ; Chair : Carla Meyer]

10.00 “La « nation » vénitienne en Sicile dans la seconde moitié du XVe siècle : l’exemple de la compagnie des frères Valier” Fabien Faugeron, (École Française de Rome, Italy)

10.30 “Levantine Goods in Western Cultures: Adapting Rugs and Silk Cloth”Heiner Lang (Universität Bamberg, Germany)

11.00 “Florence at Venice: Florentine Bankers in Early Modern Venice” Isabella Cecchini joint with Luciano Pezzolo (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia, Italy)

11.30 Discussion

12.00 Conclusive Remarks: Georg Christ (Universität Heidelberg)

13.00 Lunch

15.00 Guided tour through historic centre of Heidelberg: Jochen Goetze (angefr.), Marco Neumaier (Universität Heidelberg, Koord. Stefan Burkhardt)

Kontakt

Anna Katharina Angermann
Trading Diasporas Research Groups
Transcultural Studies
Heidelberg University
Marstallstraße 6
D-69117 Heidelberg
Germany
Phone: +49 6221 547860
Fax: +49 6221 547862

http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/transculturality/union_in_separation.html
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