Cornelia Aust

Cornelia Aust is a historian and researcher at Bielefeld University, affiliated with the Faculty of History, Philosophy and Theology and the Department of History. She serves as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1288 Project Area D03, focusing on practices of comparison in historical knowledge production. Her roles also include being a Research Associate at the Chair of Early Modern History since 2018 and prior affiliations with institutions like the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Leibniz Institute of European History.

• Education: Doctorate in History (University of Pennsylvania, 2010), Magister in History (Free University Berlin, 2003), and studies at Free University Berlin, Warsaw University, and Hebrew University Jerusalem.

Research Interests: Cornelia Aust specializes in Jewish history from the Early Modern period to modernity in Central and Eastern Europe, with a focus on economic history, transnational networks, and cultural practices. Her work explores themes such as Jewish mercantile elites, clothing regulations, sumptuary laws, and the role of Jewish bankers in 19th-century economic crises. She integrates transcultural and transnational methodologies to analyze commercial networks and identity construction.

Key Research Contributions: Her recent publications and conference papers examine the interplay between Jewish economic practices and broader European historical transformations. Topics include the cultural history of early modern clothing, legal norms governing Jewish merchants, and the socio-economic dynamics of Warsaw’s Jewish elite. Her engagement with CRC 1288 highlights comparative methodologies in analyzing knowledge production.

Scientific Awards:

• Martin Buber Society of Fellows Postdoctoral Fellowship (2010-2013)
• Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies Fellowship (2008-2009)
• SSRC International Dissertation Field Research Fellowship (2006-2007)