Alles bleibt in der Familie. Eine Geschichte des (Ver-)Erbens seit 1800 mit Jürgen Dinkel

In the organizer's words:

The societies of the 20th and 21st centuries are essentially inheritance and family societies. The chances of prosperity and the social status of individuals depended and still depend heavily on their family background - the deeply rooted conviction in the population that property should primarily be passed on to the next generation within the family was also central to this. Inheritance transfers therefore always raised the question of who actually belonged to the family and what rights these people had to the inheritance.

In his lecture, Jürgen Dinkel traces the history of inheritance and bequests in the transatlantic region since around 1800. He shows how governments, families and individuals repeatedly negotiated the passing on and distribution of inheritance and thus also their understanding of family and specific family constellations. In each case, inheritance cases represented moments that created and updated the social network of family relationships or even called them into question.

Participants

Jürgen Dinkel is Heisenberg Professor of Modern Global History at the University of Leipzig.

Prof. Dr. Daniel Tyradellis (Humboldt University of Berlin)

Dr. Alia Rayyan (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)

Dr. Laura Goldenbaum (Humboldt Forum Foundation in the Berlin Palace)

Jürgen Dinkel is Heisenberg Professor of Modern Global History at the University of Leipzig. His research focuses on the history of inheritance and legacy, colonialism and decolonization, and the Global South. He is currently writing a short history of gratitude.

Current publications

Everything stays in the family. Heritage and property in Germany, Russia and the USA since the 19th century, Industrielle Welt, vol. 104, Cologne 2023.

Saying thank you. Geschichte einer akademischen Kulturtechnik, in: Zeithistorische Forschungen/Studies in Contemporary History, online edition, 19 (2022), H. 3, print edition: pp. 537-559.

The lecture series takes place in the Humboldt Forum as part of a cooperation of the institutional network. Programmatic director of the cross-institutional cluster: Dr. Laura Goldenbaum

• free of charge
• Duration: 120 min
• Language: German
• Room 3, ground floor
• Part of: Lecture series Beziehungsweise Familie