The cover illustration of the book ‘Foreign and without rights?’ depicts foreigners united in kneeling before the Pharaoh Amenhotep III (1388-1350 BCE).
Major Research Outcomes
My research investigates the factors that decided on how the boundaries of citizenship were defined in ancient Athens. Often but not always the impact of demography, political constitutions and imperialism are apparent. Similar factors also drove Roman citizenship policies, although the Romans tended to be more inclusive on the long run. Personal names not only reflect the change of a political status or the development of new ethnic identities, but also the desire to reflect affiliations with both the culture of origin and at the same time with the more prestigious new society.
My Interest in Citizenship, Migration, Inclusion and Participation
My maternal grandfather was the son of immigrants to the Aachen area (western Germany) from Wallonia (eastern Belgium). My father was born in central Anatolia and came to Germany as one of the so-called ‘guest workers’. I grew up in Germany, lived for some years in the UK and settled with my own family in Canada, where we became permanent residents. This personal background may explain my keen interest in the history of migration and inclusion. My research has addressed several legal, political and cultural aspects of the status of foreigners.