Expansion and Activities of the Mercedarian Order in the Andean region during the 16th century
The “discovery“ of America and the accompanying convergence of cultures unsettled and altered the view of the world of everyone involved. The present study enriches our understanding of events that shape international relations and the cultural identities to this day. Little known archival material is used to reconstruct how members of the Order of Our Lady of Mercy (Mercedarians) reached the Andes in the retinue of the European invaders and participated in the formation of the colonial society. Besides investigating the friars’ role in the colonial and civil wars, as well as in the decades of indigenous resistance, the study also looks at secular legislation, rivalry with other Orders and clergy, as well as prominent examples of Mercedarian missionary work. An analysis of the Order’s reform and of the transatlantic relations of its provinces uncovers that it was only thanks to the works created by the Mercedarian chroniclers of the 17th century that the mission was wholly integrated into the Order’s self-perception.
Personal Details
Dr. Maret Keller (associated member)
Heidelberg University
Transcultural Studies
Marstallstraße 6
69117 Heidelberg
maret.keller@uni-heidelberg.de
CV
Maret Keller read English, art history, and philosophy in Kiel and cultural and social sciences in Frankfurt an der Oder. In 2002 she received an Erasmus scholarship to study art history and Spanish at the University of Oviedo in Spain. She has worked as an intern in South Africa (at Creda Communications Pty.), in Mexico (at the Instituto de Cultura de Yucatán), and in Spain (at the Goethe-Institut Madrid). In 2007 she graduated from the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt an der Oder with a 'Diplom' in cultural and social sciences. In summer term 2008 Ms Keller worked as a lecturer and a graduate assistant at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt an der Oder. During that time, she also took part in an eTeaching training programme at the University of Potsdam. In October 2008 Ms Keller became an associated member of the graduate school 'Locating Media/Situierte Medien' in Siegen. From November 2008 to September 2012 she worked as a research assistant in Dr. Brosseder's research group, 'The Dialogue of Cultures in the Andean World'.
Research has been carried out in libraries and archives in Berlin, Hamburg (Germany), Rome (Italy), Seville, Madrid (Spain), Lima, Arequipa, Cusco (Peru) and Quito (Ecuador).
Maret Keller is currently working at the Georg-Eckert-Institute – Leibniz Institute for international textbook research and for the Göttingen Center for Digital Humanities.
Research profile
Andean cultures and colonial history, intercultural communications, discourse analysis, discourse traditions, media theory, digital humanities.
Publications:
- I„Expansion und Aktivitäten des Mercedarier-Ordens im Andenraum des 16. Jahrhunderts” (Dissertationsschrift Universität Heidelberg 2013), URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-187295.
For a full list of publications please refer to the German page: http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/transculturality/maret_keller.html
