The Center of Excellence ‘Cultural Foundations of Integration’ (University of Konstanz) and the International Institute of Social History (Amsterdam) are jointly preparing a workshop on the history of commodities and commodity chains. An increasing number of research projects, both of junior and senior scholars, deals with the social, economic or cultural history of agricultural, mineral or manufactured commodities like tea, coffee, tobacco, indigo, cane sugar, gold, diamonds, textiles, etc. A few projects also situate the history of these commodities in commodity chains, that is in tree-like sequences of production processes and exchanges by which a product for final consumption is produced.

The workshop is meant for doctoral students, postdocs and senior scholars alike. It has two aims. On the one hand the workshop intends to discuss intensively insights and research problems. And on the other hand it wants to explore the possibilities for establishing a somewhat more permanent platform or network for commodity-related research activities. The workshop is primarily meant for historians living in Europe, but scholars from other continents are very welcome too.

The workshop will take place in Konstanz, on February 27-28, 2009. The language of the workshop is English. Accommodation and meals are provided for those presenting papers.
Travel costs (economy flights, 2nd class train travel) for participants who do not have funding can be arranged after discussion with the organizers. Those interested should send a short description of their ongoing research project (not more than a few pages) and a short CV by December 7, 2008, to:

Dr. Bernd-Stefan Grewe
Universitaet Konstanz
Geschichte und Soziologie
D-78457 Konstanz
Germany
Tel. 00-49-(0)7531-884904
Bernd.Grewe@uni-konstanz.de