Thomas Höpel

Thomas Höpel is a historian specializing in cultural policy, transnational history, and modern European cultural dynamics. He currently holds the rank of Professor, having served as Acting Professor for Brandenburg-Prussian History at the University of Potsdam (2020/21) and previously as Associate Professor at the University of Leipzig (2011). His academic career includes roles as Heisenberg Fellow (2010-2016) and leadership in the Research Academy Leipzig's Working Group on GDR history. He earned his doctorate (2000) and habilitation (2007) from Leipzig University, focusing on French Revolution emigres and 20th-century urban cultural policy.

His research interests span comparative German-French history, urban cultural policy evolution, migration/transnational cultural transfer, and gender history. Key projects include studies on Leipzig's proletarian women's movement, environmental history of industrial cities, and the cultural politics of East Germany and Poland post-1989.

Recent articles analyze transnational feminist activism, cultural diplomacy strategies, and urban resistance movements in 20th-century Europe. He has supervised doctoral research on GDR history interpretation and authored/co-edited over 30 books including monographs on cultural policy in Lyon/Leipzig and the democratization of women's suffrage in Leipzig.

Höpel's awards include the Heisenberg Fellowship and recognition by France's National University Council (2016). He has held visiting scientist positions in Lyon and contributed to major comparative history journals. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches linking cultural policy to socio-political transformations across Europe.