Kathy Stuart

Kathy Stuart is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Davis, specializing in Early Modern German history. Her work focuses on crime, gender, and social marginality in early modern Europe. She coordinates the UCDavis.in.Vienna Summer Abroad Program, exploring Central Europe’s historical crossroads. Stuart’s research bridges microhistorical analysis with broader themes of honor, ritual, and punishment.

Her notable publications include Suicide by Proxy in Early Modern Germany: Crime, Sin and Salvation (2023), which won the Natalie Zemon Davis Book Prize, and Defiled Trades and Social Outcasts (1999), honored with the Hans Rosenberg Biennial Book Prize. She frequently lectures on crime and punishment in Europe, including courses like 'The European Witch-Hunt' and 'Body, Gender, and Sexuality in Early Modern Europe.'

Stuart has advised filmmakers on historical accuracy for projects like The Devil’s Bath, which premiered at the Berlinale and won a Silver Bear. Her awards include the Excellence in Teaching for Global Learning Award (2024–2025) and multiple recognitions for scholarly contributions to early modern studies.