Department of History

Central and Eastern Europe

The University of Pittsburgh’s Department of History includes a rich cluster of faculty specializing in the 19th and 20th century history of Central and Eastern Europe. While we study different sub-regions and topics, we share an interest in the revolutions and geopolitical, demographic, and cultural reconfigurations that convulsed this part of Europe. In particular, our research is driven by  questions about  how  modern technological advances, industrialization, urbanization, imperialism, the rise of ethnic nationalism, and the experience of mass violence and war shaped the politics, societies, and cultures of Central and Eastern Europe. 

Prospective Graduate Students

We are happy to hear from prospective applicants with interests in any of our areas of individual and collective expertise.

Research Context at the University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh is known for its strengths in Central and East European history, politics, and culture. Our research cluster draws on Pitt’s Center for Russian and East European Studies (CREES), and the European Studies Center.

We cooperate with numerous graduate faculty across the departments of Anthropology (Robert Hayden), German (Amy Colin, Sabine von Dirke, Randall Halle, John Lyon), History of Art and Architecture (Drew Armstrong, Barbara McCloskey), Music (Adriana Helbig), Political Science (Jonathan Harris, Ronald Linden), Slavic Languages & Literature (Nancy Condee, Vladimir Padunov, Jonathan Platt, Oscar Swan, Martin Votruba), and Sociology (John Markoff). The University of Pittsburgh Press’s renowned series in Russian and East European Studies further underlines the importance of this field for the identity of this university. So too does CREES’s publication of The Carl Beck Papers in Russian and East European Studies, the country’s longest running peer-reviewed occasional papers series.  Pitt is also the host institution of the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies, the world’s leading academic organization in this field.

Apart from building on Pitt’s strengths in Central and East European studies, we draw on the expertise of faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, among them Andreea Deciu Ritivoi, Wendy Goldman, Emanuela Grama, Kai Gutschow, Donna Harsch, and Stephen Brockmann. Our graduate students are welcome to take courses with them or seek their advice on research projects. In addition, regular graduate workshops bring together history graduate students at our institutions.

Faculty

Alissa Klots
Assistant Professor
Jan Musekamp
Visiting Associate Professor
James Pickett
Associate Professor
Gregor Thum
Associate Professor