Dirk Rupnow

Dirk Rupnow is a Professor at the Institute for Contemporary History, University of Innsbruck, and has served as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities since March 2018. He previously held roles as Associate Professor and Assistant Professor at the same institute. His academic career includes visiting professorships at Stanford University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, as well as fellowships at leading research centers such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna.

Research Interests: Dirk Rupnow's work spans Austrian, German, and European contemporary history, with a focus on the Nazi era, Holocaust, Jewish history, migration, memory studies, and museology. His research integrates cultural, transnational, and methodological perspectives, often bridging academic and public history.

His recent publications reflect a strong engagement with digital memory, forced sterilization under National Socialism, Holocaust narratives, and migration history. These works demonstrate a commitment to interdisciplinary and socially relevant scholarship, particularly in confronting difficult pasts and shaping public memory.

Scientific Awards:

• Fraenkel Prize in Contemporary History, Wiener Library, London (2009)
• Charles H. Revson Fellowship, US Holocaust Memorial Museum (2004, 2010)
• APART-Stipendium, Austrian Academy of Sciences (2004–2007)
• Förderpreis des Landes Tirol für Wissenschaft (2010)
• Geisteswissenschaften International-Preis (2011)
• Junior Fellowship, IFK Vienna (2000–2001)

Advising and Grants: Dirk Rupnow has led and co-led numerous research projects funded by the FWF, BMWF, and Sparkling Science programs. He founded the Doctoral Program on 'Dynamics of Inequality and Difference in the Age of Globalization' and coordinated the Research Center 'Migration & Globalization' at the University of Innsbruck. His leadership roles include directing the Institute for Contemporary History (2010–2018) and serving on multiple national and international advisory boards.

Labs and Teams: He leads the 'Arbeitskreis Migration' at the Haus der Geschichte Österreich and chairs scientific advisory boards for the Documentation Archive of Migration Tyrol and the Vielfaltenarchiv Vorarlberg. He is actively involved in collaborative networks such as the Austrian Network for Migration History and international institutions like Yad Vashem and the Simon Dubnow Institute.