David Ciarlo

David Ciarlo is an Associate Professor of Modern German History at the University of Colorado, specializing in social/cultural history of modern Germany, European imperialism, racism, and visual/mass culture. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (2003) and has been recognized with major awards for his work on advertising’s role in German imperialism. His research analyzes colonial visual culture’s intersection with commercial and political power, including studies of 19th-20th century Germany’s imperial propaganda and World War I propaganda’s ties to fascism.

Research interests focus on how visual media shaped colonial and national identities, with projects like Advertising Empire (Harvard UP, 2011) and current work on wartime propaganda’s "militarized masculinity" imagery. He teaches courses on German history, empire, and visual culture at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Awards include the AHA’s George Louis Beer Prize and German Studies Association’s Book Prize. His scholarship spans colonial visual archives, book censorship in Nazi Germany, and postcolonial memory. Ciarlo welcomes M.A./Ph.D. students and maintains active engagement with transnational imperial studies.