Ben Van Zee

Ben Van Zee serves as a Visiting Fellow at the Max Weber Programme for Postdoctoral Studies, European University Institute, a leading institution for advanced social sciences and humanities research in Europe.

His scholarly work centers on cultural history of modern East Central Europe and global historical connections. Dr. Van Zee specializes in the histories of Germany and Poland, the Habsburg Monarchy and successor states, comparative imperial systems, migration patterns, and transnational historical frameworks. He is currently developing a significant book manuscript titled 'The Underdog Imperialists: Poles, Germans, and Interwar Emigrant Colonialism,' which examines how traditionally emigrant-sending nations like Poland and Germany pioneered novel forms of imperialism after World War I by strategically organizing overseas settlements to expand their political and economic influence.

Dr. Van Zee has taught university courses covering divided Germany and Korea during the Cold War, the historical evolution of human rights concepts, and comprehensive surveys of modern East Central European history, demonstrating his expertise across multiple historical domains and his commitment to academic instruction.