Elizabeth Heineman

Elizabeth Heineman is a Professor in the Department of History at the University of Iowa, where she has been a faculty member since 1999. She is affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and contributes significantly to the fields of modern European history, gender and sexuality studies, and human rights. Her teaching and research are deeply interdisciplinary, combining rigorous historical analysis with public engagement.

• PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1993)

Her research explores the intersection of intimate human experiences with large-scale historical events, particularly in 20th-century Germany and Europe. Key themes include state regulation of gender and sexuality under fascism, communism, and liberal democracy; historical memory; sexual violence in conflict; and the social impact of war. She is known for her innovative work on the erotic industry in postwar West Germany, notably through her book Before Porn Was Legal: The Erotica Empire of Beate Uhse. Her current project is a family history centered on unaccompanied child refugees from Nazi Germany and the complex realities of postwar reunification.

The 15 most recent publications reflect a consistent focus on gender, sexuality, memory, and public history, often with a transnational or comparative lens. They span academic journals, edited volumes, and public-facing commentary, demonstrating a commitment to both scholarly rigor and public engagement. Topics include the legacy of Magnus Hirschfeld, the commercialization of sex in West Germany, and the gendered dimensions of citizenship in post-conflict societies.

Scientific awards and honors include:

• AICGS/DAAD Prize for Distinguished Scholarship in German and European Studies (2010)
• New Millennium Prize in Literary Non-Fiction (2011)
• National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship (2003)
• Howard Foundation Fellowship (2003-2004)
• Senior Fellow, Freiburg Institute for Advanced Study (2012-13)

Professor Heineman has served in significant academic and public roles, including Departmental Executive Officer (2014–2018), Academic Coordinator of the Sexuality Studies Program (2007–2010), and Executive Board member of the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights (2007–2012). She is actively involved in public history initiatives such as the New Fascism Syllabus and the German Iowa and the Global Midwest project. She has not received public funding for advising students in this dataset, but her mentorship is evident through graduate seminars and public intellectual engagement.

She is the founding co-curator of The New Fascism Syllabus, a digital crowdsourcing project, and co-principal investigator of the German Iowa and the Global Midwest initiative. She also hosts the New Books in Gender and Sexuality podcast, further extending her scholarly reach into public discourse.