Paula Zwolenski honored with the Humboldt Prize

Paula Zwolenski was awarded the Humboldt Prize 2024 for her bachelor thesis “Sensitive sound recording from the archive. Communication attempts and self-positioning in the sound recording of the Indian prisoner of war Baldeo Singh”.

In her work, she examines how Baldeo Singh used the colonially influenced recording session of the Phonographic Commission to communicate and position himself as an individual speaker. Zwolenski analyses power asymmetries, deconstructs colonial practices and explores perspectives for the decolonization of historical collections.

The Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin honors outstanding academic work by students and early career researchers with the award every year. The award ceremony took place on November 12 in the Lichthof Ost at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.