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Konrad H. Jarausch: A Historian Straddling Two Worlds
Konrad H. Jarausch, born on August 14, 1941, in Magdeburg, Germany, is a renowned historian who self-identifies as both German and American. His life and career reflect a unique blend of German origins and American professional integration.
Jarausch's formative years were marked by frequent moves, as his mother, a teacher and the sole breadwinner, navigated the challenges of post-war Germany. He attended the Paul-Schneider-Gymnasium, a Protestant boarding school, before venturing across the Atlantic to study at Princeton University. He later received his PhD at the University of Wisconsin.
Jarausch's academic journey led him to the Center for Contemporary Historical Research in Potsdam, where he took over leadership in 1998 and served until his emeritus in 2006. His work at the ZZF, as it is known, was not without controversy. Critics accused the centre of not focusing solely on the Berlin Wall, Stasi, repression, and SED omnipotence, but rather exploring everyday society in the DDR. However, Jarausch's work was instrumental in critically assessing the evaluations of DDR scientists, pointing out excesses and injustices.
In 1989, Jarausch organised a conference in Berlin, bringing together East and West German and US historians to discuss the fall of the Berlin Wall. This event marked a significant milestone in his career and underscored his commitment to bridging the divide between the two Germanys.
Jarausch's genealogy can be traced back to the year 1391. His paternal ancestors ran a small grocery store in a Silesian farming village, while his maternal lineage was in the bureaucracy and educated middle class "with a touch of nobility." Despite his family's Prussian and North German influences, Jarausch never knew his father, who fell in the so-called Nazi Russia campaign.
Jarausch's study of the past has been driven by a desire to understand the present and the future. This passion led him to turn to German history in the USA, as the country did not let him go. He considers political neutrality in historians to be inadequate, especially given his influences from German-Jewish emigrant colleagues in the US. His book, "Konrad H. Jarausch: The Burden of the Past. A Transatlantic Life," is a retrospective of the recent history of German historical science, including personal revelations about his experiences in the USA. The 244-page hardcover book costs 20 €.
Today, Jarausch continues to straddle the worlds of Germany and the United States, contributing to our understanding of German-American relations and the experiences of migrant historians in North America. His work serves as a testament to the power of history in bridging cultural divides and fostering mutual understanding.
