Current Research

My current research sits at the intersection between German, environmental, and colonial history.

Centering Simon Kooper

My recent article centers on |Gomxab, known more broadly as Simon Kooper (captain of the Fransman Nama). Kooper’s agency throughout German colonial rule in Southwest Africa, an analysis of an international frontier space, and the importance of the environment are central to my analysis and argument. The article has been published in the Journal for Southern African History (49, 4).

I remain interested in German colonial warfare and African resistance in Southwest Africa. How did indigenous resistance and imperial entanglements in Southern Africa shape European relations?

Current Research Projects

Ongoing research projects are still defined by environmental dynamics and German colonialism in Southwest Africa. First, I am focusing on draft and pack animal traction, mobilities, and dependencies. I recently submitted one journal articles focusing on the import of camels to German Southwest Africa; I also have an article centering on mule imports under review. Secondly, I am interested in German conservation efforts, a topic I did not get to discuss in my book. At the moment, I plan to share some of my initial findings in a journal article. Finally, I am toying around with different potential book projects – the logic of the sources, along with funding to complete research in Southern Africa, will define how I proceed.