Sabine Hanke earned her PhD in History from the University of Sheffield, UK, in January 2021. Her dissertation examines the national and imperial dimensions of the modern British and German circus during the interwar period, focusing on how cultural practices both reflected and shaped knowledge about nationhood and empire. Currently, she is preparing her first monograph, based on her thesis, for publication with Manchester University Press, forthcoming in January 2025.
Before joining the University of Tübingen, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Duisburg-Essen’s Section on Global Mobility, spanning the 18th and 20th centuries, where she investigated transregional entanglements while also teaching courses in Modern History.
In her current project, she deepens her engagement with Human-Animal Studies by exploring the role of birds of paradise in the colonial context of New Guinea throughout the long nineteenth century. This project investigates how scientific knowledge, aesthetic practices, and economic interests intertwined, shaping global debates on conservation, commodification, and colonial power.
Sabine Hanke is passionate about public history and is committed to collaborative work with museums and public initiatives to critically engage with postcolonial histories and their lasting impact on contemporary society. Her most recent cooperation with the Zentrum für Erinnerungskultur focused on the colonial legacy in Duisburg.
