Episode 4: Antigypsyism in German Popular Culture & the Other in Ancient and Medieval Visual Arts (Interview with Dr. Tatiana Tereshchenko (Moscow) and Dr. Pavel Brunssen (Heidelberg University))

Dr. Tatiana Tereshchenko and Dr. Pavel Brunssen in conversation with Jiacheng Mo

What do ancient and medieval visual arts have in common with modern Antigypsyism in German pop culture? At first glance, these topics seem entirely unrelated — one rooted in the distant past, and the other in urgent contemporary concerns. Yet, in our 4th podcast episode, Dr. Tatiana Tereshchenko (Moscow) and Dr. Pavel Brunssen (Heidelberg), in conversation with Jiacheng Mo (HGGS), open up a surprising conversation between two very different fields of study. Even though their research topics differ widely in time period and subject matter, both scholars explore how visual culture reflects and reinforces the ways societies define and exclude “the Other”. Our discussion raises compelling questions about the power of images — whether ancient or modern — to shape public perception, transmit social values, and sometimes determine who belongs and who doesn’t. Join us for a thought-provoking exchange that bridges disciplines, histories and media forms. You might find that the gap between past and present isn’t quite as wide as it first appears.