Miloš Řezník

Prof. Dr. Miloš Řezník is a prominent historian and Professor of European Regional History at the Faculty of Philosophy, Chemnitz University of Technology. He has held this position since 2009 and served as Pro-Dean of the Faculty. From 2014 to 2024, he was Director of the German Historical Institute in Warsaw. His academic career spans institutions in Prague, Liberec, Leipzig, and Chemnitz, reflecting a deep engagement with Central and Eastern European history.

• PhD and Habilitation in General History, Palacký University Olomouc
• Extensive research on collective identities, nationalism, borderlands, and elite transformations in Central Europe
• Expertise in Polish, Czech, Galician, and Habsburg history
• Longstanding leadership roles in German-Czech and German-Polish historical commissions

His research interests center on the cultural and political dynamics of regional identities in Central and Eastern Europe, especially in border regions such as Silesia, Bohemia, Pomerania, and Galicia. He explores how historical memory, nationalism, and elite strategies have shaped regional consciousness from the 18th to the 20th century. His work bridges historiography, cultural studies, and political history, with a strong focus on transnational and comparative perspectives.

The 15 most recent publications reveal a consistent thematic trajectory: the interplay between regionalism, ethnicity, memory, and state formation in Central Europe. Key sub-themes include the Kashubian movement, Habsburg provincial governance, German-Czech-Polish relations, and the symbolic politics of historical figures and events. His scholarship increasingly engages with theoretical frameworks such as retrotopia, ethnoregionalism, and the institutionalization of historical science.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• Foreign Member, Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences (2023)
• Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Federal Foundation for the Study of Communist Dictatorship in East Germany (2025)
• Member, Scientific Council, Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Kohl-Stiftung (2022)
• Member, Johann Gottfried Herder Research Council (2011–present)

Prof. Řezník has supervised numerous academic projects and dissertations, particularly through collaborative EU and DFG-funded initiatives focused on cross-border history. He has served as editor for multiple academic series and journals, including Journal of Modern European History (2019–2024). His institutional roles include membership in evaluation committees for the European Research Council, DFG, and Czech Science Foundation.

He leads or has led several major research initiatives, including the Interreg Project: Cultural Heritage of the Vogtland and Egerland, and has organized numerous international conferences on Central European history, memory, and regionalism. His work is deeply embedded in transnational academic networks, particularly through the German Historical Institute in Warsaw and the Kompetenzzentrum Mittel- und Osteuropa Leipzig.