Claudia Theune

Claudia Theune is a full professor of historical archaeology at the University of Vienna's Institute of Prehistory and Historical Archaeology. She specializes in conflict archaeology, particularly Nazi concentration camps and extermination sites, medieval archaeology, and contemporary archaeology. Her work integrates material culture analysis with historical and ethical dimensions, focusing on memory studies and site interpretation.

Education: PhD in 1988 from Philipps University of Marburg. Prior roles include positions at Humboldt University of Berlin (1994–2006). She has led projects in Germany, Austria, and Poland, examining sites like Mauthausen, Hartheim, and Sobibor.

Research interests include 20th-century conflict sites, marginal landscapes, and the intersection of archaeology with ethics and memory. She co-edits journals like Historical Archaeology and Archaeologia Austriaca, and serves on editorial boards and academic societies.

Her recent work analyzes objects from Nazi victim sites, contextualizes extermination centers, and explores interdisciplinary approaches to historical conflict zones. She is also recognized for her role in establishing the Archaeology of Modernity as a field.