Gregor Thum

Gregor Thum is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh's Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. He specializes in 19th- and 20th-century Central European history, focusing on topics like forced migration, German-Polish relations, and the cultural legacies of empire collapse. Thum earned his PhD from the European University Viadrina (2002) and MA from Freie Universität Berlin (1995).

His research explores how cities like Wrocław/Breslau transformed after WWII population transfers, and how nationalizing processes interact with imperial legacies. Key works include Uprooted: How Breslau Became Wrocław (2011) and co-edited volumes on imperial decline. Current projects include a book manuscript on Germany's eastern frontier from 1800 to present.

Thum's publications analyze spatial politics, memory conflicts, and transnational border histories. His work frequently bridges German, Polish, and European perspectives, emphasizing architectural symbolism and urban planning's role in national identity formation.

• Awards: Freiburg Institute Fellowship (2008–2010), Gazeta Wyborcza's Wrocław Ambassador Prize (2007)
• Teaching: Courses on European integration, the Holocaust in context, and German empire-building
• Labs/Teams: Part of Pitt's interdisciplinary history program focusing on East-Central Europe