Unfreie Arbeits- und Lebensverhältnisse von der Antike bis in die Gegenwart: eine Einführung

Non-free living and working conditions can be traced throughout human history. In the 17 essays in this volume researchers from various disciplines investigate this phenomenon as it formed the theme of a lecture series in 2003-4 in the DFG Graduate Colloquium 'Slavery, bondage and forced labour' at the University of Trier. In the context of slavery and similar practices, these problems have an ongoing relevance from the ancient orient to our own globalised world. There are three central themes: discourse of freedom and subjection, economic gain from forced labour, and the history of the reception of and research into slavery.