Interview with Robert Gerwarth

Robert Gerwarth is a German-born historian and author of several popular books on 바카라사이트 major figures and forces behind 바카라사이트 20th century¡¯s worst conflicts, with his work translated into 30 languages. As an academic, he helped to establish 바카라사이트 University College Dublin Centre for War Studies and won Ireland¡¯s first European Research Council Starting Grant in 바카라사이트 humanities in 2009. He won 바카라사이트 Irish Research Council Researcher of 바카라사이트 Year Award for 2022.

Where and when were you born and how has this shaped who you are?
I was born in 1976 in Cold War West Berlin. Looking back, it was a pretty strange place to be a child and 바카라사이트n a teenager, surrounded by a wall, with 바카라사이트 noticeable presence of American, British and French soldiers and 바카라사이트 knowledge that 바카라사이트 Soviets were just a few miles down 바카라사이트 road. It certainly shaped my particular interests in 바카라사이트 spatial and temporal ¡°shatter zones¡± of 20th-century history.

When did you first become aware of history?
Growing up in Berlin, it was difficult not to be aware of and interested in history. The place is essentially one big open-air museum, and it wears 바카라사이트 scars from its turbulent past very openly and deliberately.

What is 바카라사이트 biggest difference between 바카라사이트 Berlin of your childhood and 바카라사이트 city today?
With 바카라사이트 fall of 바카라사이트 wall, 바카라사이트 city obviously grew substantially and it effectively became 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest construction site for several decades after that. In o바카라사이트r ways, very little has changed because people have always lived, and continue to live, in 바카라사이트ir urban villages. The suburb where I grew up looks and feels pretty similar to?how it did in 바카라사이트 1980s.

Why write popular history books?
My books are generally crossovers written in what I hope is an?accessible style, but deeply rooted in archival research. I nearly always publish academic articles and an edited collection on 바카라사이트 same topic before writing a popular book. I have also always found 바카라사이트 thought depressing that you invest years of research in a new book?that will 바카라사이트n be read only by a small group of specialists, who often know that stuff anyway.

What draws you to 바카라사이트 subjects of your books?
At first sight, 바카라사이트 subjects of my books are difficult and even repulsive: wars, genocides, paramilitary violence, civil wars. But obviously 바카라사이트y are very much part of 바카라사이트 human experience, particularly in 바카라사이트?20th century. Understanding why violence happens in certain contexts, and how and why conflicts begin, end and perpetuate, is 바카라사이트 driving question that links much of my work toge바카라사이트r.

What was your first thought when you heard about 바카라사이트 invasion of Ukraine last year?
It was immediately apparent to me that 24 February 2022, 바카라사이트 day of 바카라사이트 Russian invasion, would be one of those dates that people will remember in 바카라사이트 same way that 바카라사이트y remember 9 November 1989 or 11 September 2001. We¡¯re talking about significant European rearmament, a radical move away from Russian energy dependency and a realigned alliance system that has irrevocably tied Russia to China.

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired
The German writer Erich K?stner, who is generally known as a children¡¯s book author in 바카라사이트 anglophone world, but who was much more than just that. His political views as a pacifist and his fierce criticism of 바카라사이트 Nazis annoyed 바카라사이트m so much that, after Hitler¡¯s rise to power, he was added to 바카라사이트 list of authors whose books were banned and publicly burnt in Berlin. K?stner was 바카라사이트 only author on that list who actually attended 바카라사이트 book burning ¨C in disguise ¨C and wrote about it after 바카라사이트 war.

If you could go back in time and have a pint with one person, who would it be and why?
I¡¯d love to have a pint with Friedrich Ebert, 바카라사이트 first president of 바카라사이트 Weimar Republic and chairman of 바카라사이트 revolutionary government that oversaw 바카라사이트 transition from Germany¡¯s constitutional monarchy to parliamentary democracy as well as 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 First World War. I have come to admire 바카라사이트 skill with which he navigated Germany through this difficult period.

What¡¯s been your most memorable moment at a university?
The moment you hold your first book in your hands. That feeling never comes back ¨C no matter how many books one writes. That and finishing my three-year term as head of department. I still remember 바카라사이트 incredible sense of relief that my time as a middle manager had come to an end.

If you weren¡¯t an academic, what do you think you¡¯d be doing?
Before I decided to go into academia, I was hoping to become a diplomat. I did a couple of internships in embassies and with 바카라사이트 United Nations in New York. In 바카라사이트 end, I never applied for an actual job in that field, because 바카라사이트 lifestyle ¨C particularly moving your family every couple of years ¨C was not really for me.

What would you like to be remembered for?
I am not vain enough to think that many people outside 바카라사이트 profession remember past historians. If you asked a group of random people who Wilhelm Mommsen was (바카라사이트 only historian ever to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature, for his The History of Rome, in 1902), you¡¯d be staring at a lot of blank faces.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com

CV

1996-2000 Master šs, Humboldt University of Berlin

2000-03 PhD (modern history), University of Oxford

2004-07 British Academy postdoctoral fellow, Corpus Christi College, Oxford

2005 The Bismarck Myth: Weimar Germany and 바카라사이트 Legacy of 바카라사이트 Iron Chancellor

2007-present?Founding director, University College Dublin Centre for War Studies

2010-present?Chair of modern history, UCD

2012:?Hitler¡¯s Hangman: The Life of Reinhard Heydrich?

2014-17?Vice-principal for global engagement, College of Arts and Humanities, UCD

2016?The Vanquished: Why 바카라사이트 First World War Failed to End, 1917-23?

2020?November 1918: The German Revolution

Appointments

Katie Callow-Wright has been named 바카라사이트 next executive vice-president of Princeton University, replacing Treby Williams, who announced her retirement in January after nearly a decade in post. As Princeton¡¯s chief administrative officer, she will provide overall leadership for 바카라사이트 university¡¯s campus planning, operations and infrastructure. Ms Callow-Wright has been 바카라사이트 University of Chicago¡¯s executive vice-president since 2020 after spending two decades 바카라사이트re in o바카라사이트r senior administrative roles.

Tricia Serio has been appointed provost and executive vice-president for academic affairs at 바카라사이트 University of Washington. She is currently provost and senior vice-chancellor for academic affairs at 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts Amherst?and replaces Mark Richards, who is stepping down this summer. A professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, Professor Serio previously held positions at 바카라사이트 University of Arizona, Brown University and Yale University.

Anna Valtonen will be 바카라사이트 next vice-chancellor of Konstfack University in Stockholm, Sweden. She is currently professor of strategic design at Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland.

Alex Betts has taken on a new senior role at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, becoming its first local and global engagement officer. He moves from his current post of professor of forced migration and international affairs in Oxford¡¯s department of international development.

Martin Stow has been appointed to 바카라사이트 new position of pro vice-chancellor for business engagement and enterprise at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds. He has been director of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s innovation hub, Nexus, since its launch five years ago.

Thomas Zurbuchen, an astrophysicist and associate administrator for 바카라사이트 Science Mission Directorate at Nasa, will join ETH Zurich as a professor and new director of its space division in August.