Marianne Hirschberg

Professor Marianne Hirschberg serves as Professor for Disability, Inclusion and Social Participation at the University of Kassel's Institute of Social Work within the Department of Human Sciences. She has established herself as a leading scholar in disability studies through her interdisciplinary research connecting human rights frameworks with practical social policy applications. Her academic career spans multiple German institutions including Bremen University of Applied Sciences, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, and Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences, alongside significant policy work at the German Institute for Human Rights where she served as Social Science Officer at the Monitoring Unit for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Professor Hirschberg's academic credentials include:

• Doctorate (phil.) from Technical University of Dortmund (2009) with dissertation "Disability in International Discourse: The Flexible Classification of the World Health Organization"
• 2nd State Examination for teaching with specialization in special education, religion and politics (2004)
• 1st State Examination for Teaching at Primary and Secondary Schools with Special Education Specialization (1999)
• Bachelor's studies in educational science, education for the mentally and learning-disabled, and Protestant theology at the University of Hamburg (1993-1999)

Her research program critically examines human rights in disability contexts through multiple lenses including barriers and accessibility, universal design, disability-postcolonial intersections, inclusive adult education frameworks, historical analysis of National Socialist euthanasia crimes, constructions of disability normality, and disability movements. This work is characterized by its methodological rigor and practical policy relevance, influencing both academic discourse and governmental approaches to disability inclusion in Germany and internationally.

Professor Hirschberg's professional recognition includes:

• Spokesperson of the Participation Research Working Group of the Research Network for Social Law and Social Policy (FoSS)
• Deputy spokesperson of the Research Training Group Just and Sustainable Transition (JUST)
• Membership in the International Network of Genocide Scholars (INoGS)
• Advisory roles with Yad Vashem's Education Department on inclusive historical pedagogy
• Consultation with UN Independent Expert on human rights of older persons

She actively mentors doctoral candidates including Julian Horn (urban time structures and disability), Rebecca Maskos (wheelchair use and acceptance), Eva Charlotte Hesse (autism portrayals in literature), Yvonne Wechuli (disability and emotion), Mirjam Schülle (refugee healthcare access), and Helge Stobrawe (inclusive adult education). Her leadership extends to organizing major academic events such as the lecture series "100 Years of the Social Women's School in Bremen" and conferences addressing disability rights implementation in Germany.

Professor Hirschberg maintains an active research team at the University of Kassel collaborating with Dr. Yvonne Wechuli and other researchers, while also contributing to international disability scholarship through her Visiting Scholar position at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Center of Disability Studies and DAAD-funded research in Israel on post-Convention disability perspectives.