William Theiss

William Theiss is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Connecticut, specializing in Central European cultural, social, and intellectual history from 1500-1800. His research focuses on the administrative uses of sacred church records (Kirchenbücher), the sociology of memory, and state formation. He holds a BA in Comparative Literature from Yale University (2016), an MPhil in Early Modern History from the University of Cambridge (2017), and a PhD in History from Princeton University (2023). His current projects include revising his dissertation into a book titled The Registration of Souls in Central Europe and researching Stoicism's role in the German Counter-Reformation.

Teaching interests span Mediterranean antiquity to global early modern history, including Latin and ancient Greek languages. His work has been supported by the Gates Foundation and the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies. Recent publications explore 17th-century Parisian cultural life, Florentine liturgical architecture, and German humanist art criticism. Office: Wood Hall Rm 322 (Storrs Campus), currently on leave for Fall 2025.