Julia Bezold M.A.

Julia Bezold studied history and political science at the universities of Heidelberg and Munich, complemented by two study-abroad periods in the United States and Japan. Her research interests lie in modern history, with a particular focus on post-war societies in Europe and Japan, memory cultures, and the history of migration.

As a research associate in the CRC, Julia Bezold investigates self- and external categorisations of European refugees in South Asia during the 20th century. She analyses how refugees, state authorities, transnational aid organisations, and local societies negotiated status and belonging at different stages: during flight, throughout exile, and upon return or onward migration.

Through this work, Julia Bezold contributes to the CRC by examining how self- and external categorisations are constituted in the context of National Socialist persecution, the Second World War, colonial rule, the Indian caste system, and national liberation movements in South Asia. The project seeks to demonstrate the significance of mobility for the production, transfer, and transformability of human categorisation.