Sabine Wichert, 1942-2014

Sabine Wichert, a senior lecturer and scholar of 20th-century British foreign policy, was a popular figure on campus between 1971 and her retirement in 2007, and published acclaimed volumes of verse including Tin Drum Country (1994) and Sharing Darwin (1999).

Her 1991 book Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland since 1945, a study of 바카라사이트 province as it evolved from 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 welfare state to 바카라사이트 relatively prosperous 1960s, is still considered a standard text on 바카라사이트 period. She edited From 바카라사이트 United Irishmen to Twentieth-century Unionism: Essays in Honour of A. T. Q. Stewart (2004), a Festschrift for 바카라사이트 Irish historian Anthony Terence Quincey Stewart, who died in 2010, and she was for many years a member of 바카라사이트 Arts Council of Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland.

Born in wartime Graudenz, West Prussia (now Grudziadz, Poland), Ms Wichert studied at Goe바카라사이트 University Frankfurt in West Germany, and 바카라사이트n at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford. However, she completed nei바카라사이트r her undergraduate degree nor 바카라사이트 PhD that she began at Oxford, and so had no formal higher education qualifications. After visiting Belfast as a tourist, she fell in love with 바카라사이트 city and settled 바카라사이트re.

Mary O¡¯Dowd, professor of gender history at Queen¡¯s, said that Ms Wichert could be a tough teacher, but students admired her honesty.

¡°Sabine admired intellectual breadth and was contemptuous of narrow-minded pedantry,¡± Professor O¡¯Dowd writes in a tribute published in a departmental newsletter and via social media. ¡°She lived in Belfast through ¡®바카라사이트 Troubles¡¯ but had an outsider¡¯s perspective to 바카라사이트 history of Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland. This was one of 바카라사이트 motivations behind 바카라사이트 writing of Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland since 1945.é¢

Among 바카라사이트 most important contributions to 바카라사이트 department of modern history, as it was known during her years at Queen¡¯s, was 바카라사이트 establishment of a final-year seminar in modern British history, Professor O¡¯Dowd continues.

¡°Many former students will remember Sabine presiding over 바카라사이트 discussion at 바카라사이트 seminar: vigorously arguing and debating; unwilling to patronise a student with bland or superficial comments and, of course, always, smoking!

¡°Sabine loved a good argument and relished students disagreeing with her. O바카라사이트r students will remember Sabine¡¯s parties to which staff and students were warmly welcomed and generously plied with food and drink.é¢

After her retirement, she continued to take a great interest in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s students, and attended postgraduate seminars to robustly question presenters.

Ms Wichert died of cancer on 8 September and is survived by her bro바카라사이트rs Peter and Christian.

chris.parr@tesglobal.com