Hans-Joachim Hahn

PD Dr. Hans-Joachim Hahn is a Privatdozent (equivalent to Associate Professor) in Modern German Literature at RWTH Aachen University. He has held teaching positions at ETH Zürich and Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz since 2011, and previously served as a substitute professor at RWTH Aachen (2013-2015). His academic trajectory includes directorship of a research center in Poland (2003-2005) and research fellowship at the Simon-Dubnow-Institute (2006-2011).

Hahn earned his doctorate from Freie Universität Berlin in 2003 with a dissertation on Holocaust representations in West German literature and memory culture. His educational background encompasses studies at Freie Universität Berlin, Universiteit van Amsterdam, and Manchester Metropolitan University (1988-1994), followed by supplementary studies and teaching experiences in Poland.

• 1988-1994: German Studies, Philosophy, Comparative Literature at FU Berlin, UvA, MMU
• 1994-1996: Supplementary studies at FU Berlin (German as Foreign Language, Dutch Studies)
• 1996-1997: Lecturer at Marie-Sklodowska-University, Lublin
• 1998-1999: Language lecturer for Robert Bosch Foundation, Kielce
• 1999-2002: Doctoral scholarship from Ev. Studienwerk Villigst
• 2003: Doctorate from FU Berlin
• 2006-2011: Researcher at Simon-Dubnow-Institute
• 2017: Habilitation at RWTH Aachen

Hahn's research centers on Holocaust representation in German literature, German-Jewish intellectual history, and European cultural identity formation. His work critically examines antisemitism in literary contexts, memory culture, and transnational literary exchanges, particularly focusing on post-1945 German literature and Central European Jewish experiences. He frequently analyzes how literature processes historical trauma and constructs cultural memory.

His recent publications (2014-2017) reveal consistent engagement with German-Jewish intellectual history, early Holocaust literature, and transformations of antisemitism. The works demonstrate interdisciplinary scope spanning literary studies, cultural history, and Jewish studies, with recurring focus on World War I/II experiences, Nazi physician representations, and European identity discourses. Key thematic threads include memory transmission, religious symbolism in antisemitism, and transnational Jewish cultural networks.

No major scientific awards are documented in the provided information.

Hahn has secured significant research funding including a doctoral scholarship from Ev. Studienwerk Villigst (1999-2002), directorship of a Robert Bosch Foundation-funded center (2003-2005), and postdoctoral fellowship at University of Konstanz (2011). His editorial contributions include 12 edited volumes on Jewish studies, antisemitism, and German literature.

• Research Funding: Ev. Studienwerk Villigst (doctoral), Robert Bosch Foundation (2003-2005), Forschungsgruppe "Geschichte+Gedächtnis" (2011)
• Editorial Leadership: Multiple volumes on Jewish studies, antisemitism research, and transnational literature

No dedicated research laboratories or permanent institutional teams are specified in the source material, though his work connects with the Simon-Dubnow-Institute and Gerhart-Hauptmann-Haus networks.