Reiseziel: Istanbul, Türkei
Reisezeitpunkt: 10. Juli bis 19. August 2023
In order to gather new material on sexuality and gender-related matters in the Ottoman Empire and to enhance my dissertation project focusing on homosexuality in the late Ottoman and early republican literature, I consulted the relevant archival materials at the Ottoman Archive of the Presidency of State Archives (BOA) in Istanbul, Turkey, an immensely useful and rich resource for scholars of (cultural) history. During this study trip, I scanned as many archival documents as possible in order to gain insight into the perception of gender and sexuality in Ottoman society. In the archives, I tried to understand through court records what sexual harassment was, to what extent relationships between men were allowed and tolerated, and how the Ottoman authorities responded to homosexuality. I explored which contexts of sexuality were criminalized to the point of reaching the judicial system. Through laws and legal documents, medical and psychological texts, I tried to gain insight into how sexuality was regulated in the Empire. The archival trip was extremely valuable for the development of my dissertation. The documents I discovered during this visit will play a crucial role in shaping the foundation of my research. The information I gained from the archives strengthens the theoretical frameworks I am exploring and contributes significantly to the scholarly integrity of my work. I am grateful for the support of the Gutenberg Graduate School of the Humanities and Social Sciences in making this archival visit possible.