Alexander Freund

Alexander Freund is a Professor and Chair in German-Canadian Studies at the University of Winnipeg’s Department of History within the Faculty of Arts. His work focuses on migration, oral history, and transnational identity. He teaches courses such as Global Migration History, Modern German History, and Oral History methodologies.

Research interests include German-Canadian diaspora studies, refugee narratives, and the intersection of memory and migration in North America and Germany. Freund emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, particularly combining oral history with photography and digital humanities. He critiques neoliberal influences on historical discourse and advocates for ethical practices in testimony collection.

Publications span edited volumes on migration, oral history pedagogy, and transnationalism, alongside monographs like Being German-Canadian: History, Memory, and Generations. His work often bridges academic history with public engagement, exemplified by contributions to the Oral History Centre at the University of Winnipeg and collaborative projects like the Canadian Oral History Reader.

Freund’s scholarship addresses contemporary challenges in oral testimony ethics, transnational community formation, and the role of memory in contested spaces. He collaborates globally, engaging with scholars in Latin America, Europe, and Asia on migration and oral history initiatives.