About

Patrick Gilner

I am a historian of the modern world specializing in Europe and Germany in the era of the two world wars. Broadly, my historical interests include nationalism and mass politics, violence, and the relationships of peoples to states. More specifically, I am interested in issues of stability, regime change, sovereignty, and memory at state and popular levels during the first half of the twentieth century. I focus primarily on the Weimar Republic and Nazi state in Germany, as well as the evolving ways Germany fits into the structures and networks of European and Global politics and society. My recent work concentrates on the role of violent atrocities in postwar politics, diplomacy, and society following World War I. In particular, I examine how the prosecution of war crimes shaped Weimar political conflict, popular discourse, and international peace-building.

As an educator, I enjoy exploring a broad range of topics with my students. In the past, I have taught survey courses on Modern Europe, U.S. History, and World History, as well as more specific topics courses on Nazi Germany and the History of the Holocaust. As in my research, I emphasize international and transnational connections in my courses, and encourage students to consider the global dynamics and interdependence of national or local histories in an interconnected world.