Baijayanti Roy
Postdoctoral Researcher, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main

Baijayanti Roy is post-doctoral researcher at the Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main (Arbeitsgruppe Wissenschaftsgechichte or Study Group, History of Science), where she also received her Ph.D. Her current academic interest is to trace the connections between India, the country of her birth, and Germany, her country of residence. Her present research focuses primarily on the history of German Indology, from late 19th to the mid-20th century. Several of her forthcoming publications also relate to Nazi Germany, focusing on the trajectory of Indologist Heinrich Zimmer in the Third Reich, the dark attractions of Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s tea house and the state of knowledge about Holocaust in present-day India. Having worked as a journalist in India, Baijayanti remains a keen observer of Indian politics, particularly the politics of Hindu nationalism that holds sway over contemporary India. She has spoken in several international conferences and written articles in Indian newspapers on the influence of political Hinduism on particular Hindi (Bollywood) historical films.