Alison Frank Johnson

Alison Frank Johnson is a Professor of History and Germanic Languages and Literatures at Harvard University, serving as Department Chair. She is affiliated with the Barker Center and the Center for European Studies. She holds a B.A. in German and Russian from Williams College, and an A.M. and Ph.D. in History from Harvard. Additional studies include the Karl Franzens Universität Graz and Jagiellonian University in Kraków.

Her research focuses on the Habsburg Empire, German-speaking Europe, and topics like the death penalty, commodity history, and maritime power. Major works include Oil Empire: Visions of Prosperity in Austrian Galicia (2005), awarded multiple prizes. Current projects explore capital punishment in the Habsburg Monarchy and Austria-Hungary’s global commerce strategies.

Her articles span dueling, Mediterranean slave trade, Alpine spa towns, and Austria-Hungary’s maritime role. Awards include teaching accolades (Everett Mendelsohn Excellence in Mentoring, Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Prize) and book prizes. She has held fellowships from ACLS, Fulbright, and Vienna’s Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen.

Her advisory roles include the Scientific Advisory Board of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Courses taught include histories of German-speaking Europe, turn-of-the-century Vienna, and commodities in international contexts.