Geoffrey Giles

Geoffrey Giles is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Florida, where he joined in 1978 after four years at Yale University's Institution for Social and Policy Studies. His career spans decades with significant contributions to German history, particularly Nazi Germany and Holocaust studies.

His educational background includes a B.A. in German Language and Literature from the University of London (1969) and a Ph.D. in German history from the University of Cambridge (1975).

Professor Giles's research focuses on German history, Nazi Germany, Holocaust studies, history of sexuality, history of education, and alcohol history. His work examines social and cultural intersections, such as cigarette cards in education and persecution of homosexuals in the Third Reich, revealing how marginalized groups navigated oppressive systems.

His publication trends show consistent exploration of Nazi Germany's social machinery, with increasing attention to sexuality and educational tools as mechanisms of control. Holocaust education remains a unifying thread across his scholarly output.

His scientific awards include:

• University Teaching Award (1996)
• Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship (year-long, undated)
• Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship (2003-2004)
• German Marshall Fund Fellowship
• Senior Fellow, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (2000-2001)

Professor Giles secured research funding through multiple fellowships including two Alexander von Humboldt Foundation awards, a German Marshall Fund grant, and a United States Holocaust Memorial Museum fellowship. He directed major educational initiatives including the Holocaust Educational Foundation’s study seminars in Eastern Europe and co-directed Florida's annual Holocaust summer institute for schoolteachers.

He led significant academic teams as Secretary-Treasurer of the German Studies Association, President of the Alcohol and Temperance History Group, and Chair of the International Standing Conference for the History of Education's Gender Working Group, while serving on editorial boards for German History and Journal of the History of Sexuality.