Professor Benjamin Ziemann of the University of Sheffield , holds a Ph.D. and Habilitation from German institutions. His research spans Modern German History, with a focus on the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany , labor movements, and anti-nuclear pacifism . He has received grants from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation , British Academy , and others. His work includes a definitive biography of Martin Niemöller , analyzing themes like antisemitism , nationalism , and postwar moral reckoning . He has authored and edited seminal texts such as The Oxford Handbook of the Weimar Republic and co-edits journals like Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaft . Research Interests : Social history of German workers in WWI, Weimar/Nazi political culture, religious movements. Teaching : Imperial Germany (1871-1918), Weimar Republic, Gender and Violence in WWI. Supervision : PhD on German army combat, refugee camps in postwar Germany, Catholic discourses on war/peace. Public Engagement : Frequent lecturer in Europe, Japan, USA; media appearances in Deutschlandfunk and rbb Kulturradio .
Professor Peter Flügel is Chair of the Centre of Jaina Studies and Professor of the Study of Religions and Philosophies at SOAS University of London. His extensive research covers Jain history, anthropology, sociology, ritual practices, and comparative philosophy. Education: Dr Phil (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz) MA (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz) Flügel's research encompasses Jain schools and sects, relic stūpas, Jaina-Vaiṣṇava syncretism, socio-political history of the Jain tradition, and questions of pluralism and non-violence. He specializes in the material culture of Jain mendicant traditions and Jain legal history. Flügel has directed numerous research projects funded by the British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, and AHRC, including 'Jaina Rituals of Death', 'Jaina-Prosopography', and 'Exploratory Survey of the Jaina Heritage in Pakistan'. His publications demonstrate extensive archival research and fieldwork focused on Jain religious practices across South Asia. Scientific Awards: Ācārya Tulsī Anekānt Sammān (1999) International Pravartinī Pārvatī Jain Award (2010) Jewel of the Jain World Award (2012) Flügel convenes the Annual Jaina Studies Workshops at SOAS and serves as editor of the International Journal of Jain Studies. He maintains international collaborations with universities in Lund, Lille, and Ghent, and research partnerships with institutions in India and Germany.
George Bodie is a Lecturer in History at Goldsmiths, University of London, specializing in contemporary German history and the global Cold War. His academic work focuses on the connections between East Germany (GDR) and the postcolonial world, examining how ideas of socialist internationalism and solidarity were constructed and manifested in everyday life. Dr. Bodie completed his academic training with a BA in History from the University of Sussex (2011), an MA in European History from University College London (2012), and a PhD in History also from University College London (2020). George Bodie's research explores the construction of socialist internationalism and how these ideas shaped everyday behavior. His work primarily focuses on East Germany's connections with Cuba, Africa, and other parts of the postcolonial world during the Cold War era. He examines how these connections were represented in media, experienced through tourism and educational exchanges, and how they shaped both GDR citizens' worldview and the international standing of the socialist state. His research bridges diplomatic history, cultural studies, and transnational history to provide a comprehensive understanding of how socialist internationalism functioned as a mass phenomenon rather than just an elite project. Bodie's recent publications demonstrate a clear trend toward examining the everyday manifestations of socialist internationalism. His work moves beyond traditional diplomatic histories to explore how ordinary citizens experienced connections between socialist states and postcolonial nations. Through analyses of tourism, media representations, and educational exchanges, he reveals the complex tensions between ideological solidarity and consumerist pleasure in socialist internationalism. His research significantly contributes to understanding how the Cold War was experienced at the grassroots level across different geopolitical contexts. British Association for Slavonic & East European Studies Postgraduate Prize for Best Scholarly Article by a Postgraduate Student Dr. Bodie teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programs at Goldsmiths. His teaching includes BA modules on 'The Central Powers in the First World War,' 'Germany's African Road to the Holocaust,' and 'The Greatest Whodunnit in History: Who Caused the First World War?' He also teaches the MA module 'A History of Violence.' His research appears in prestigious journals including the Journal of Contemporary History and International Review of Social History. He is currently working on a book exploring links between East Germany and the postcolonial world.
Professor Stefanie Kappler serves as Professor in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding at Durham University's School of Government and International Affairs since 2015, following her directorship of the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Centre for War and Peace Studies at Liverpool Hope University. Her research examines contested memories of violence and peacebuilding through extensive fieldwork across Bosnia-Herzegovina, South Africa, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Brussels, Kosovo, and the Basque Country. Education: PhD from University of St Andrews Research Interests: Kappler investigates memory politics and legacies of violence in peacebuilding, with groundbreaking work on artists' roles in addressing justice demands amid ongoing inequality. Her scholarship explores decolonising peace education and spatial dimensions of peace formation , challenging liberal peacebuilding paradigms through critical analysis of cultural heritage and resistance practices in post-conflict societies. Publication Trends: Her 2021-2025 publications reveal increasing focus on arts-based peace formation , with soundscapes and curation emerging as key methodologies for decolonial memory work. Kappler consistently connects spatial reparations to structural violence while advancing intersectional frameworks that integrate feminist theory with critical peace studies, particularly in Western Balkans and Southern African contexts. Projects and Grants: Kappler leads externally-funded initiatives including: Peace and Memory : Analyzing memory politics-cultural heritage-peacebuilding intersections The Art of Peace : Investigating arts' role in peace formation processes Decolonising Peace Education : Transforming curricula through critical pedagogy Labs and Teams: She collaborates with international research collectives including University of Manchester's Art of Peace network and Aspen Institute Germany, evidenced by her 2024 Western Balkans reconciliation report, though no dedicated physical lab is specified in her profile.
Peter R. Neumann is a Professor of Security Studies at King's College London , where he founded and directed the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR). He also serves as a Research Fellow at the Changing Character of War Programme (University of Oxford) and a Senior Researcher for the European Commission’s Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN-PS). Previously, he held visiting or adjunct roles at Sciences Po (Lyon), Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of St. Gallen. Education: PhD in War Studies (King's College London), MA in Political Science (Free University of Berlin). His research focuses on radicalisation , extremism , terrorism , and counter-terrorism , with a particular emphasis on online extremism , migration and security , and foreign fighter networks . His publications include Radicalized: New Jihadists and the Threat to the West (2016), Bluster: Donald Trump’s War on Terror (2020), and The New World Disorder (2023), an intellectual history of Western foreign policy post-Cold War. Professor Neumann’s academic output spans 15+ years , covering topics such as prison radicalization (2020), hybrid terrorism (2020), bioterrorism during the pandemic (2020), and systemic lessons from European terrorist plots (2019–2020). His work often bridges empirical analysis (e.g., socio-economic drivers of Islamic State recruitment, 2021) and policy-oriented contributions (e.g., CVE strategies in Europe, 2019). He has advised Western governments and international institutions extensively, including a role as OSCE Special Representative on Countering Violent Extremism in 2017. Prior to academia, he worked as a radio journalist in Germany.
School of Advanced Study, University of LondonUnited Kingdom
Professor Henning Melber serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, with a fellowship term running from July 2015 to July 2026. His academic work bridges the Nordic Africa Institute in Uppsala, Sweden, where he is based, and the University of London's research ecosystem. Holding a PhD in Political Sciences and Habilitation in Development Studies, Melber has established himself as a leading scholar on African politics, particularly focusing on Southern Africa, Namibia, and German-Namibian historical relations. His research interests span Civil Rights, Colonies & Colonization, Emigration & Immigration, Communities, Classes, Races, Globalization & Development, History, Human Rights, International Relations, and Politics. Melber's scholarly focus centers on the history of racism, liberation movements as governments, Namibian politics, and the complex legacies of German colonialism in Africa. His recent work demonstrates particular expertise in the German-Namibian genocide reconciliation process and post-colonial memory politics. Analysis of Melber's 15 most recent publications reveals a consistent focus on decolonial perspectives, with particular attention to Namibian history and politics, German colonial legacies, liberation movements in governance, and critical development studies. His scholarship increasingly examines the intersection of historical justice, memory politics, and contemporary political challenges in Southern Africa, with notable contributions to understanding the evolving relationship between Germany and Namibia regarding colonial genocide recognition and reparations. Melber maintains an active research profile with publications spanning journal articles, book chapters, and monographs, demonstrating his position at the forefront of critical African studies and post-colonial scholarship. His work often bridges historical analysis with contemporary political challenges, particularly regarding how historical legacies shape current governance and international relations in Africa.
Hannah Holtschneider is Professor of Contemporary Jewish Cultural History at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Divinity . Since joining in 2005, she has led research and teaching in Holocaust studies, Jewish cultural history, and Jewish/non-Jewish relations, while directing research for the School (2021–2024) and co-founding the Edinburgh Jewish Studies Network. Education MPhil, Trinity College Dublin (1995) Postgraduate Diploma, University of Oxford (1996) PhD, University of Birmingham (2000) Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (since 2003) Research Focus Her scholarship centres on the cultural history of twentieth-century Jewish life, with particular emphasis on the Holocaust’s long-term impact on families, representations of Jews in museums and memory culture, and the intersections between Jewish identity and majority societies in Germany and the UK. Methodologically, she draws on personal archives, family correspondence, and interdisciplinary collaboration to illuminate individual agency within macro-historical events. Current Projects Personal Archives and Holocaust Historiography – exploring the Dorrith Sim family archive at the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre (2024–2026) Special-issue co-editorship on personal documents as sources for interdisciplinary Holocaust scholarship, Holocaust Studies: A Journal of Culture and History (2024–2026) British Academy/Leverhulme grant on testimonies of female physicians in Auschwitz (2023–2025) Co-authored monograph Contemporary Jews and Judaism (under contract with Routledge) Major Grant AHRC, Jewish Lives, Scottish Spaces: Jewish Migration to Scotland, 1880–1950 (2015–2018) Supervision & Mentorship She welcomes PhD applications in Holocaust history, Jewish migration, and modern Jewish culture. Current and former supervisees span universities and disciplines, reflecting her commitment to collaborative, interdisciplinary training.
Sarah Colvin is the Schröder Professor of German at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Jesus College. She specializes in German literature and culture, with research focusing on epistemic injustice, social justice in cultural production, authoritarianism in literature, and prison writing. Her academic trajectory includes leadership roles in research groups like 'Cultural Production and Social Justice' and principal investigatorship for the EU/UKRI project 'Cartography of the Political Novel in Europe'. Education: Professor Colvin earned her BA, MA, and DPhil in German language and literature from the University of Oxford, with additional studies at the University of Hamburg. Research Focus: Her interdisciplinary work bridges literary studies, social justice, and political theory, examining how narratives challenge power structures. Key themes include epistemic resistance in marginalized voices, the aesthetics of prison writing, and decolonial temporality in contemporary German fiction. She employs narrative theory to analyze texts ranging from early modern literature to modern political novels. Publication Trends: Colvin's recent works explore epistemic justice through global literary and film narratives, with emphasis on carceral studies, Afro-German literature, and counter-terrorism discourse. Her scholarship consistently intersects with social activism, using textual analysis to address systemic inequalities and political violence. Awards and Recognition: Mercator Fellowship, University of Greifswald (2026-29) Senior Prize Fellowship, Bayreuth Humboldt Centre (2020-21) Leverhulme Research Fellowship (2007-8) Humboldt Fellowship, University of Potsdam (2000-2001) Academic Leadership: She supervises PhD candidates in diverse areas including violence in contemporary novels, women's prison writing, and political theater. As Cambridge PI for international projects, she coordinates interdisciplinary teams examining the nexus of literature and social change.
Dr Mercedes Peñalba-Sotorrío is a Senior Lecturer in Modern European History at Manchester Metropolitan University, specializing in 20th-century Spanish and European history with a focus on authoritarian regimes, fascist movements, and propaganda. She holds a visiting fellowship at the Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies in Madrid (2015). Her research examines Nazi propaganda's influence on Spain during WWII, Francoist collaboration, and transnational fascist networks. She has organized key events such as the 'Lingering Pasts: European Approaches to Historical Trauma' lecture series (2016) and co-hosted 'History, memory and the trauma of the Spanish Civil War' (2016). Her teaching spans Modern European History, Nazi Germany, and the Spanish Civil War. She has authored/co-authored influential works on Francoist structures, Falangist networks, and propaganda analysis. Her research outputs include studies on Nazi-Spanish collaboration, cultural intervention during the Spanish Civil War, and the transformation of the Falange into a state party. She has been funded by the Irish Research Council for her work on Nazi propaganda's impact on Spain’s foreign policy during WWII, conducted at University College Dublin’s Centre for War Studies. Her publications range from book chapters on transnational fascism to media analyses of authoritarian regimes.
Professor Jean-Marc Dreyfus is a Reader in Holocaust Studies at the University of Manchester's History Department. His research focuses on genocide anthropology, Holocaust memory, and post-war reconstruction. He supervises doctoral students on topics like Holocaust denial and Jewish history in Romania. Key research projects include diplomats' reports on Nazi persecution, corpse management in mass violence, and the Editionsprojekt Judenverfolgung archival project. His teaching includes courses on Holocaust sources, consequences of the Holocaust, and Jewish European history. Research Themes: Holocaust studies, genocide studies, Jewish history, economic history of France/Germany Current Projects: Corpses of Genocide (2012-2016 UN-funded project), diplomatic archives analysis Publications span forensic approaches to genocide, Holocaust survivor narratives, and legal trials addressing historical revisionism. His work contributes to SDGs through memory preservation and reconciliation studies.
Dr. Jane Freeland is a Lecturer in History at Queen Mary University of London and a Fellow of the Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences. Her primary research focuses on the history of women and gender in modern Germany and Europe, with particular emphasis on 20th-century feminist movements, activism against domestic violence, reproductive rights, and the intersection of feminism with media. She holds affiliations with the German Historical Institute London and the Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences. Her research explores how feminist activism shaped contemporary gender justice discourses, including a major project on domestic violence activism in divided Berlin and media's role in feminist empowerment. She teaches courses on German history, European modernity, and Berlin's 20th-century cultural dynamics. Her work bridges academic research with public engagement through curated exhibitions and media collaborations. Freeland’s publications include a monograph on feminist transformations in Berlin and peer-reviewed articles analyzing gender roles, legal frameworks, and media representation. She actively supervises doctoral research on modern European gender history, East German studies, and media history. Her public engagement includes organizing interdisciplinary discussions on feminist legacies and curating the online exhibition Feminism and the Media . She frequently contributes to radio and podcast discussions on historical feminism and its contemporary relevance.
Nicholas Martin is a Reader (Associate Professor) in German at the University of Birmingham's Department of Modern Languages, specializing in modern German intellectual history and the cultural history of war and political violence in 20th-century Germany. Formerly Director of the Institute for German and European Studies (2013–2020), he has also held visiting professorships at California State University Long Beach and Loyola University Maryland. His research focuses on Nietzsche’s legacy, Weimar classicism, and the cultural memory of the First World War. Education: D.Phil., M.A., and B.A. in Philosophy and Modern Languages from the University of Oxford. Professional roles include Editor-in-Chief of *Forum for Modern Language Studies* (2013–2017) and founding Director of the Graduate Centre for Europe (2005–2015). Research interests span Nietzsche’s reception, Thomas Mann’s writings, and Nazi cultural practices. He has published extensively, including edited volumes on Nietzsche, Schiller’s legacy, and post-war cultural memory. Awards include the Theodor Heuss Fellowship (1994–1995) and the DAAD Scholarship (1983–1984). Teaches undergraduate courses on German language, Nietzsche, and cultural history. Supervised 12 PhD and 14 Master’s theses, including studies on Thomas Mann, Nietzsche, and German unification narratives. Engages in interdisciplinary work through the Institute for German and European Studies, addressing contemporary issues in German politics and culture.
Alison Craighead is a Lecturer in Fine Art at the Department of Art, Goldsmiths, University of London. Collaborating with Jon Thomson since 1995, she explores digital art through global communication networks, real-time data, and internet culture. Position: Lecturer in Fine Art Department: Goldsmiths Art Department Email: a.craighead@gold.ac.uk Research Interests Her practice spans digital installations using live data, browser archaeology , and environmental critiques like In words alas drown I (climate whisky archive) and A Temporary Index (nuclear waste timelines). Key themes include algorithmic surveillance , internet romanticism , and corporate data manipulation . Artistic Output Recent works like (In)Visibility of Violence (2025) examine violence representation through digital media, while Chose Your Filter! (2025) critiques early browser culture. Their practice includes public art commissions , gallery installations , and networked performances . Honors Shortlisted for Samsung Art Prize (2012) Vital Spark Award recipient (2011-2012) Professional Context Alison's collaborative works have been exhibited internationally in solo/group shows across London, Germany, Scotland, and Canada. She engages with institutions like Arts Catalyst (nuclear culture project) and Film and Video Umbrella.
Doreen Pastor is a Lecturer in the Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies at the University of Bath. She is affiliated with the Centre for the Study of Violence. Her research focuses on visitor experiences at memorial sites in Germany, particularly exploring how spaces like Holocaust and GDR-era memorials engage with historical memory through tourism and liminal emotional experiences. Her work bridges cultural studies, tourism studies, and historical memory. Her academic contributions include a 2021 monograph Tourism and Memory: Visitor Experiences of the Nazi and GDR Past and peer-reviewed articles analyzing transformative landscapes and memorial site narratives. Pastor’s research emphasizes the intersection of physical spaces, collective memory, and visitor emotional engagement. Her research interests include liminality theory, narrative construction in memorials, gendered memory practices, and the evolution of memorialization strategies in post-war Germany. She has conducted extensive studies on concentration camp memorials such as Ravensbrück and Flossenbürg, examining how their displays shift over time to reflect changing historical interpretations. Pastor’s publications demonstrate a focus on how memorial sites mediate between historical trauma and contemporary public understanding, often using case studies from Germany to explore broader themes in memory studies and tourism studies.
Aleksandra Lewicki is a Reader in Sociology (Sociology and Criminology) at the University of Sussex , affiliated with the School of Law, Politics and Sociology , the Sussex European Institute , and the Sussex Centre for Migration Research . She also serves as the Director of Research and Innovation in her school and as Co-Director of the Sussex European Institute. Her academic journey includes a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Freie Universität Berlin and a Research Associate position at the University of Bristol, where she also earned her PhD in Sociology and an MA in Politics. Her research focuses on boundary-making, structural inequalities, and racialisation in post-colonial Europe. Key areas include institutional racism, political mobilisation, citizenship politics, and the gendered dimensions of racialisation, particularly concerning 'Eastern Europeans' and Muslim populations in Germany and the UK. She critically examines how categories of difference are produced and institutionalised, shaping social hierarchies and life trajectories. Her recent publications in journals like Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies , The Sociological Review , and International Political Sociology explore themes such as the ambiguous racialisation of Eastern Europeans, the material effects of Whiteness in the German welfare state, and the coloniality of post-Brexit borders. Her work consistently highlights the geopolitical, legal, and economic dimensions of racism beyond individual prejudice. Lewicki has secured competitive research funding from the British Academy , the German Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency , and the Research Council of Norway . Her projects include studies on discrimination in the labour market, political subjectivities after East-West migration, and transnational anti-immigration movements in Europe. Co-Director, Sussex European Institute Director of Research and Innovation, School of Law, Politics and Sociology, University of Sussex In-House Associate Editor, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies Co-Chair, Ethnicity, Race, and Diverse Societies Research Network She supervises undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations and welcomes PhD students working in de/postcolonial sociology, the sociology of race and racism, and migration studies. Lewicki is actively engaged in public scholarship, contributing to policy debates and public discourse on migration, racism, and citizenship.
