Zoom conference link: https://zoom.us/j/91255064760?pwd=TlRpeXZPaWVMbGx3Q2tTSi9SU2dZUT09

Roland Wenzlhuemer (LMU Munich / global dis:connect):

“Dis:connectivity in Global History. A Tale of Two Islands.”

Abstract:

This talk explores the nuanced dynamics of global history through the lens of disconnections and interruptions in global connectivity.
Contrary to traditional narratives emphasizing seamless global interconnectedness, this study delves into the significant impacts of disconnective phenomena on historical processes.
Examining two remote islands — Fanning Island in the Pacific and Ascension Island in the Atlantic — reveals how connectivity and isolation coexist. Fanning's role in the telegraph network illustrates the tensions between global communication and geographic remoteness, epitomized by a German raid during World War I. Meanwhile, Ascension Island's dis:connected position first turned it into a terraforming laboratory and later made it a suitable location for a vital NASA tracking station.
This presentation seeks to re-adjust the perspective of global history by embracing dis:connectivity, illuminating the complex interplay between connections and disconnections pivotal to understanding historical globalization.

Bio:

Roland Wenzlhuemer is Professor of Modern History and Co-Director of the Käte Hamburger Research Centre global dis:connect at LMU. His research focuses primarily on colonial and global history. He investigated the socio-cultural transformation of colonial agrarian economies (Ceylon), researches the emer-genceand significance of global infrastructures (telegraphy), is interested in transitions and transits in global connections (intercontinental shipping) and deals with the theory and method of global history.

Poster