Karin Friedrich

Karin Friedrich is a Professor in Early Modern History at the University of Aberdeen, affiliated with the School of Divinity, History, Philosophy & Art History. She holds a dual academic background with an M.A. from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich (1989) and a Ph.D. from Georgetown University, Washington D.C. (1995). Her research focuses on the social, political, and cultural history of Central and Eastern Europe, particularly Poland-Lithuania, Prussia, and the Holy Roman Empire, emphasizing borderlands, composite states, and early modern state formation.

• Educations: M.A. History (1989), Ph.D. History (1995)
• Affiliations: Royal Historical Society Fellow, AHRC Peer Review College member

Her research interests include the history of Royal Prussia, confessionalization, and transnational identities. She has held visiting professorships, fellowships (including Leverhulme and AHRC), and led initiatives like the Centre for Polish-Lithuanian Studies. Notable publications include The Other Prussia (2000) and Brandenburg-Prussia, 1466–1806 (2011).

Her articles analyze urban crisis management, multiculturalism in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the political thought of figures like Bogusław Radziwiłł. Awards include the Orbis Prize (2001) and the Kulturpreis (2022/3). She coordinates postgraduate MLitt programs and supervises research on Central European history.

Her work bridges Polish, German, and Lithuanian historiographies, emphasizing entangled histories and borderland dynamics. Key contributions include studies on citizenship, state-building, and Enlightenment-era cultural practices in Prussia and Poland-Lithuania.