Nikolaus Daniel Wachsmann (born 1971) is a professor of modern European history in the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology at

Birkbeck College Birkbeck, University of London (formally Birkbeck College, University of London), is a public research university located in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. Established in 1823 as the London Mechanics' ...

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

Academic career

Wachsmann was born in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

. He graduated from the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

(BSc) degree, from the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

with a taught

Master of Philosophy A Master of Philosophy (MPhil or PhM; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. The name of the degree is most often abbreviated MPhil (or, at times, as PhM in other countries). MPhil are awarded to postgraduate students after completing at leas ...

(MPhil) degree, and from the

with a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...

(PhD) degree. His

doctoral thesis A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...

, which he completed in 2001, was titled "Reform and Repression: Prisons and Penal Policy in Germany, 1918–1939". In October 1998, Wachsmann began his academic career as a

research fellow A research fellow is an academic research position at a university or a similar research institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a p ...

Downing College, Cambridge Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge and currently has around 950 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college to be added to the university between 1596 and 1869, and is often described as the oldest of ...

. He was then a

lecturer Lecturer is an academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. They may also conduct re ...

at the

University of Sheffield The University of Sheffield (informally Sheffield University or TUOS) is a public university, public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Its history traces back to the foundation of Sheffield Medical School in 1828, Fir ...

. In 2005, he joined the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology of

Birkbeck, University of London Birkbeck, University of London (formally Birkbeck College, University of London), is a Public university, public research university located in London, England, and a constituent college, member institution of the University of London. Establ ...

. He is the author of the 2004 book, Hitler's Prisons: Legal Terror in Nazi Germany and the 2015 book KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps. He is currently writing a new history of Auschwitz.

Personal life

Wachsmann resides in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

Awards and honours

*2004

Royal Historical Society The Royal Historical Society (RHS), founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history. Origins The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the H ...

Gladstone History Book Prize, winner for ''Hitler's Prisons: Legal Terror in Nazi Germany'' *2016 Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Prize, winner for ''KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps'' *2016 Mark Lynton History Prize, winner for ''KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps'' *2016

Wolfson History Prize The Wolfson History Prizes are literary awards given annually in the United Kingdom to promote and encourage standards of excellence in the writing of history for the general public. Prizes are given annually for two or three exceptional work ...

, winner for ''KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps''

Selected publications

*''KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps'' (New York, London, 2015) *''Die Linke im Visier. Zur Errichtung der Konzentrationslager 1933'' (Göttingen, 2014), co-edited with Professor Sybille Steinbacher *''The Nazi Concentration Camps, 1933–1939: A Documentary History'' (Lincoln, 2012), co-edited with Dr. Christian Goeschel *''Concentration Camps in Nazi Germany: The New Histories'' (London, 2010), co-edited with Professor Jane Caplan *"Before the Holocaust: New Approaches to the Nazi Concentration Camps, 1933–1939", special issue of ''

Journal of Contemporary History The ''Journal of Contemporary History'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering the study of history in all parts of the world since 1930. It was established in 1966 by Walter Laqueur and George L. Mosse. Originally published by ...

'' 45 (2010), Nr. 3, co-edited with Dr. Christian Goeschel *''Hitler's Prisons: Legal Terror in Nazi Germany'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004).

References

External links

KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps by Nikolaus Wachsmann

1971 births Living people Academics of Birkbeck, University of London Alumni of the London School of Economics Alumni of the University of Cambridge Alumni of the University of London Academics of the University of Sheffield Historians of Nazism Historians of the Holocaust German emigrants to the United Kingdom Wolfson History Prize winners {{germany-historian-stub