The relationship between knowledge production and governance has been at the centre of research on the Spanish Empire for some years. Recent works by Arndt Brendecke, Antonio Barrera-Osorio and Daniela Bleichmar, among others, show the productivity of such approaches. One consensus reached by many recent works seems to be that information was produced and collected by various actors and institutions within the empire, but not necessarily put to use by the governing bodies in Spain. More often than not, the surveys, maps, geographical descriptions, ethnographic studies, plants and specimens, and other data collected were archived without ever becoming the basis of governmental decisions.
However, even with a recent and growing interest in matters of knowledge production and imperial governance, there is still room for further questions. The relation between knowing and not-knowing, recently taken into focus by Cornel Zwierlein, and the connection of knowledge and government practices on a local colonial level are such areas.
This workshop is interested in both of these – and related – questions. It aims at bringing together recent work on governance, administration, and knowledge production from all parts of the Spanish Empire and Spain itself. Possible paper topics could be, but should not be limited to, the influence of knowing and not-knowing on governmental decision-making processes, government strategies and practices and their relation to knowledge and knowledge production, and the influence of specific local colonial contexts on government practices and knowledge production processes.

The workshop will take place on November 29th--30th, 2018 at the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany. It will be organised by Prof. Dr. Renate Dürr, professor of Early Modern History at the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, and Marie Schreier, PhD candidate and research associate at the same university, in cooperation with the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 923 “Threatened Orders – Societies under Stress” at the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany. Marie Schreier’s work at the CRC focuses on late 17th century Panama, with a particular interest in Spanish governmental practices and reactions to dealing with outside threats.

To apply:
Submissions should include an abstract of about 300 words for a 15-20-minute paper as well as a brief CV. Please include your name, affiliation and current position, and the title of your paper. The deadline for abstracts is July 31st, 2018. We expect to be able to cover accommodation and travel costs through funding available through the CRC.

Please send your applications to:

Marie Schreier
Universität Tübingen, SFB 923 „Bedrohte Ordnungen“
Keplerstr. 2
72074 Tübingen
marie-claudine.schreier@uni-tuebingen.de