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79104-01 - Proseminar: Sorcery and Witchcraft in the Early Modern Black Atlantic (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | João De Castro Maia Veiga de Figueiredo (joao.decastromaiaveigadefigueiredo@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Early Modern Africa was at the heart of a vibrant exchange of ideas that greatly influenced the Black Atlantic, reshaping notions of gender, justice, and rationality across Europe, the Americas, and Africa. This Proseminar explores this exchange through the lens of discourses and disciplinary practices related to sorcery and witchcraft. While the importance of their role in the development of new knowledge-power formations in Europe and North America has been examined from many perspectives, the significance of African contributions remains overlooked. This Proseminar introduces students to African and European ideas about sorcery and witchcraft during the early contact period, their development over time, and how the transatlantic slave trade helped spread these redefined concepts. The influence of this history on the broader history of ideas that shaped modernity will also be highlighted. Students will be introduced to sources such as Inquisitorial records, techniques for reconstructing precolonial African traditions, and the challenges of using sources from the Black Atlantic diaspora. |
| Admission requirements | Für Studierende des BSF Geschichte im Grundstudium mit abgeschlossenem Einführungskurs Geschichte. Teilnahme an der ersten Sitzung ist obligatorisch. Die Teilnehmer:innenzahl ist auf 25 beschränkt. Bei Überbelegung werden Studierende des BSF Geschichte, die noch kein Proseminar in dem Modul absolviert haben, bevorzugt zugelassen. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 10.15-12.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 19.02.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
| Thursday 26.02.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Fasnachtswoche |
| Thursday 05.03.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
| Thursday 12.03.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
| Thursday 19.03.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
| Thursday 26.03.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
| Thursday 02.04.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Osterwoche |
| Thursday 09.04.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
| Thursday 16.04.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
| Thursday 23.04.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
| Thursday 30.04.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
| Thursday 07.05.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
| Thursday 14.05.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Auffahrt |
| Thursday 21.05.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
| Thursday 28.05.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
| Modules |
Modul: Basis Frühe Neuzeit (Bachelor's degree subject: History) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Departement Geschichte |