Prof Riccardo Bavaj

Prof Riccardo Bavaj

Deputy Head of School

Professor

Phone
+44 (0)1334 46 3307
Email
rbflb@st-andrews.ac.uk
Location
St Katharine's Lodge
Office hours
Fridays, 12-1pm (by appointment)

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Teaching

Honours modules

  • The Third Reich: History and Historiography
  • Intellectuals in Interwar Western Europe, 1918-1939
  • History, Memory, and Identity in Postwar Western Europe, 1945-2005
  • Mapping Modern Europe: Spatial Perspectives on the 19th & 20th Centuries
  • Twentieth-Century Germany: A Sense of Place

Masters (MLitt) programmes

Research areas

I am a historian of modern Germany with an interest in transnational history. I received my Ph.D. from the University of Bonn in 2004 and worked as a research fellow at the Institute for Regional Studies in M眉nster before taking up a lectureship in modern European history at the University of 精东传媒 in 2005. From 2009 to 2012 I was a of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. My research focuses primarily on the twentieth century and is situated at the intersection of intellectual, conceptual and spatial history. It is particularly concerned with the history of radicalism, liberalism, modernity, academia and the idea of the West.

My first book, published with Oldenbourg in 2003, investigates the relationship between Nazism and modernity. It argues that the Third Reich did not so much provide a driving force behind the modernization of twentieth-century Germany as create an 鈥榓lternative modernity鈥� 鈥� a racist, anti-pluralist modernity that revealed the inner ambiguity of the modern age. My second book (2005) examines the multifaceted utopias that were imagined by Weimar鈥檚 radical Left. It argues that an anti-parliamentary strand of 鈥榣ife-ideology鈥� cut across the divide between left- and right-wing extremism, presenting a decisive challenge to a republic that was cast in terms of a 鈥榗old鈥� 鈥榖ureaucratic machine鈥� controlled by 鈥榖ourgeois ideologies鈥�.

More recently, I have published a new history of National Socialism, which explores the political and cultural preconditions of Nazism's rise to power, the formative contexts of its core ideas, and the evolution of a Nazi 'people's community' as a social space in the making: both in the public sphere and the privacy of the home, in churches, schools, and factories, on fighting and home fronts. I have also co-edited a volume on German notions of 鈥榯he West鈥�, which examines the shifting meanings, political uses, and transnational circulations of the idea of 'the West' from the post-Napoleonic era to the Cold War. Building on this volume, I have recently co-organized a series of that traced the discourse on 鈥榯he West鈥� across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. For further details see my profiles on and .

Selected publications

  • 鈥楤etween Evolutionary and Container Concept: Western Self-Assertions, German Westernizers, and the Spatialization of Political Thought鈥�, in Bernhard Hemetsberger & Andreas Oberdorf (eds.), Go West! Conceptual Explorations of 鈥榯he West鈥� in the History of Education (, Berlin & Boston,听2025), 13-31听
  • Doing Spatial History (ed. with Konrad Lawson and Bernhard Struck) (, London & New York, 2022) (see review forum in Cultural History 13/1 [2024])
  • 鈥楥old War Liberalism in West Germany. Richard L枚wenthal and 鈥淲estern Civilization鈥濃��, History of European Ideas 49 (2023), 607-624 () (featured in , 14 Feb 2024)
  • A Guide to Spatial History: Areas, Aspects, and Avenues of Research (with Konrad Lawson and Bernhard Struck) (2021), URL: []
  • Civilisational Mappings. 鈥楾he West鈥� at the Turn of the Century [Zivilisatorische Verortungen. Der 鈥榃esten鈥� an der Jahrhundertwende (1880-1930)] (ed. with Martina Steber) (, Berlin & Boston, 2018)
  • A Spatial History of Nazism [Der Nationalsozialismus] (, Berlin, 2016; Bundeszentrale f眉r Politische Bildung, Bonn, 2016)
  • Germany and 鈥榯he West鈥�. The History of a Modern Concept (ed. with Martina Steber) (, New York & Oxford, 2015; paperback 2017)
  • Intellectuals in the Cold War [Intellektuellengeschichte im Kalten Krieg] (ed. with Dominik Geppert) (Special Issue of 65 [2014], No. 3/4, pp. 133-216)
  • 鈥楲ife, History, and Political Modernism鈥�, The German Quarterly 90 (2017), No. 3 []
  • 'Pluralizing Democracy in Weimar Germany. Historiographical Perspectives and Transatlantic Vistas', in Paul Nolte (ed.), Transatlantic Democracy in the Twentieth Century. Transfer and Transformation (Schriften des Historischen Kollegs. Kolloquien, vol. 96) (, Munich, 2016), 53-73
  • 鈥榊oung, Old, and In-Between. Liberal Scholars and 鈥淕eneration Building鈥� at the Time of West Germany鈥檚 Student Revolt鈥�, in Anna von der Goltz (ed.), 鈥楾alkin鈥� 鈥檅out My Generation鈥�. Conflicts of Generation Building and Europe鈥檚 1968 (Wallstein, G枚ttingen, 2011), 177-194 [PDF]
  • '"The West": A Conceptual Exploration', European History Online / Europ盲ische Geschichte Online (2011), URL:
  • 鈥業ntellectual History鈥�, Docupedia-Zeitgeschichte. Begriffe, Methoden und Debatten der zeithistorischen Forschung (2010), URL:
  • 鈥樷�淩evolutionierung der Augen鈥�. Politische Massenmobilisierung in der Weimarer Republik und der 鈥淢眉nzenberg-Konzern鈥濃��, in Ute Daniel et al. (eds.), Politische Kultur und Medienwirklichkeiten. Zur Kulturgeschichte des Politischen nach 1918 (Oldenbourg, Munich, 2010), 81-100 []
  • 鈥業deologierausch und Realit盲tsblindheit. Raymond Arons Kritik am Intellektuellen 鈥渇ranz枚sischen Typs鈥濃��, Zeithistorische Forschungen/Studies in Contemporary History 5 (2008), No. 2, 332-338, URL:
  • 鈥楧eutscher Staat und westliche Demokratie. Karl Dietrich Bracher und Erwin K. Scheuch zur Zeit der Studentenrevolte von 1967/68鈥�, Geschichte im Westen 23 (2008), 149-171 []
  • 鈥楪egen den B眉rger, f眉r das (Er-)Leben. Raoul Hausmann und der Berliner Dadaismus gegen die 鈥淲eimarische Lebensauffassung鈥濃��, German Studies Review 31 (2008), No. 3, 513-536 []
  • 鈥極tto Kirchheimers Parlamentarismuskritik in der Weimarer Republik. Ein Fall von 鈥淟inksschmittianismus鈥�?鈥�, Vierteljahrshefte f眉r Zeitgeschichte 55 (2007), 33-51 [PDF]
  • 鈥榃as bringt der 鈥淪patial Turn鈥� der Regionalgeschichte? Ein Beitrag zur Methodendiskussion鈥�, Westf盲lische Forschungen 56 (2006), 457-484 []
  • Nazism and the Ambivalence of Modernity [Die Ambivalenz der Moderne im Nationalsozialismus] (, Munich, 2003)
  • Reviews in , , , , , , , , , and other journals

Current Research Students

  • Emilie Aebischer, Writing History in the Face of Fanaticism: Ernst Cassirer and his Reception as a Historian (with Richard Whatmore) 鈥� funded by a Leo Baeck Fellowship Programme Award and the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung)
  • Fiona Banham, A History of Spatial History, 1945-2020 (with John Clark) 鈥� funded by St Leonard鈥檚 College and the School of History (Handsel Scholarship)
  • Ludovic Brunot, Neo-Irredentism and the Fascist Past in Post-1945 Italy (with Kate Ferris) 鈥� funded by the AHRC
  • Olivier Feis, 'Purifying' the Nordic Space: Germany, Scandinavia, and Transnational Eugenics (with Bernhard Struck) 鈥� funded by St Leonard鈥檚 College and the School of History (Handsel Scholarship) and the Gerda Henkel Foundation
  • James Krull, Mourning with the 'Force of History': National Days of Remembrance in Germany and the UK since 1945 (co-tutelle with Christine Kr眉ger, University of Bonn) 鈥� funded by St Leonard's College and a Santander International Exchange Grant
  • Fiachna McCarren, East African Intellectual History and the Cold War Imagination (1961-1991) (with Emma Hunter, University of Edinburgh) 鈥� funded by St Leonard鈥檚 College and the School of History (Handsel Scholarship) and an Elisabeth List Junior Fellowship (University of Graz)
  • Ryan Phillips, Holocaust Education and Remembrance Culture in Scotland, 1970s-today (with Malcolm Petrie) 鈥� funded by St Leonard's College (Widening Access PhD Scholarship)
  • Elizabeth Shannon, George C. Marshall (1880-1959): Military, History, and Memorialization (with Richard Whatmore)
  • Selma Sondern, Margarete Buber-Neumann (1901-1989) (with Richard Whatmore)
  • Sokratis Vekris, Panagiotis Kondylis (1943-1998): In Search of the View from Nowhere (with Vassilios Paipais; co-tutelle with Lazaros Miliopoulos, University of Bonn) 鈥� funded by St Leonard鈥檚 College and the School of History (Handsel Scholarship)
  • Yifan Wang, British Intellectuals and 'Western Civilization', 1880s-1930s (with Colin Kidd) 鈥� funded by a China Scholarship Council鈥揢niversity of 精东传媒 Scholarship

Completed Research Students

  • Cl茅mentine Anne, 'More Than Passive Victims': Youth Agency in Wartime France, 1940-44 (PhD 2026)
  • Teresa van der Kraan, Beyond Hitlerism: Ultranationalist Perceptions of Italian Fascism in the German-Speaking World, 1919-1938 (with Conan Fischer; co-tutelle with Richard Scully and Alan Scott, University of New England, Australia) 鈥� funded by the Australian Government Research Training Program (PhD 2025)
  • Lauren Holmes, German-Speaking 脡migr茅s, Art, and Modernism in Twentieth-Century Britain (with Sam Rose, School of Art History) 鈥� funded by St Leonard's College (Interdisciplinary Scholarship) (PhD 2024)
  • Liam King, British Punk and Situationism: Investigating the 鈥楽ecret History鈥� of Punk (with Gillian Mitchell) (PhD 2024)
  • , The 1939 New York World鈥檚 Fair: Cultural Diplomacy in the Age of Fascism (with Kate Ferris, and Sam Rose, School of Art History) 鈥� funded by St Leonard鈥檚 College (International Doctoral Fees Scholarship) (PhD 2023) []
  • , Propaganda and Territorialisation: SA Imagery and Power, 1923-45 (with Conan Fischer; co-tutelle with Richard Scully and Thomas Kehoe, University of New England, Australia) 鈥� funded by the Australian Government Research Training Program (PhD 2022) []
  • , The New Now: German Modernists and News-Media, 1918-1951 (with Caroline Humfress) 鈥� funded by the AHRC (PhD 2022)
  • Constantin Eckner, Rhetorics of Asylum: A Study on the Public Debate about Asylum Policy in Germany, 1982-94 鈥� funded by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (PhD 2021) []
  • , Twilight of the Princes: The Fall and Afterlife of Monarchy in Southern Germany, 1918-1934 (with Frank Lorenz M眉ller) 鈥� funded by the Carnegie Trust (recipient of the ) - Co-Winner of the 2021 (PhD 2021)
  • Daniel F眉hrer, Ordinary Germans between Individuality, State and Community in the Inter-war Period (co-tutelle with Dominik Geppert, University of Bonn) 鈥� funded by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (PhD 2019) []
  • , Dietrich von Hildebrand: A Catholic Intellectual in the Weimar Republic (PhD 2017) []
  • Jack Woods, 鈥楤uilding Castles in the Air鈥�: Oral Folklore in the Lodz Ghetto at the Time of the Nazi Occupation (with Conan Fischer) 鈥� funded by a 精东传媒 600th Anniversary Scholarship (PhD 2017) []
  • , In the Service of His Majesty鈥檚 Government: The British Consular Service in the Third Reich, 1933-1939 (with Conan Fischer) (PhD 2017)
  • , Democrats into Nazis? The Radicalisation of the 叠眉谤驳别谤迟耻尘 in Hof-an-der-Saale, 1918-1924 (with Conan Fischer) 鈥� funded by a 精东传媒 600th Anniversary Scholarship (PhD 2016) [; journal publications: & ]
  • , West German Editorial Journalists between Division and Reunification, 1987-1991 (PhD 2013)
  • , Martin Broszat, Saul Friedl盲nder and the Historicization of the Third Reich (MPhil 2011)

Administrative Duties

  • Director,

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PhD supervision

  • Emilie听Aebischer
  • Fiona听Banham
  • Ludovic听Brunot
  • James听Krull
  • Ryan听Phillips
  • Elizabeth听Shannon
  • Sokratis听Vekris
  • Yifan听Wang

Selected publications

  • Bavaj, R., 31 Mar 2026, Zerbrechliche Stabilit盲t: Zeithistorische Blicke auf die bundesrepublikanische Demokratie. Nolte, P. & Steber, M. (eds.). G枚ttingen: Vandenhoek & Ruprecht, p. 93-120 (Rh枚ndorfer Gespr盲che; vol. 29).

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding 鈥� Chapter

  • Open access
    Bavaj, R., 31 Mar 2025, Go West!: conceptual explorations of 鈥渢he West鈥� in the history of education. Hemetsberger, B. & Oberdorf, A. (eds.). Berlin: De Gruyter Oldenbourg, p. 13-31

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding 鈥� Chapter

  • Open access
    Bavaj, R., 11 Dec 2025, In: INDES: Zeitschrift f眉r Politik und Gesellschaft. 13, 2-3, p. 31-39

    Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article

  • Bavaj, R., Lawson, K. & Struck, B., 1 Apr 2024, In: Cultural History. 13, 1, p. 100-102 3 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Comment/debate

  • Papadogiannis, N., Bavaj, R., Lawson, K. & Struck, B., 28 Apr 2024, In: Cultural History. 13, 1, p. 95-96 2 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Comment/debate

  • Open access
    Bavaj, R., 8 Jun 2023, In: History of European Ideas. 49, 3, p. 607-624 18 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review

  • Open access
    Lawson, K. M., Bavaj, R. & Struck, B., 5 Jan 2022, Edinburgh: Olsokhagen Publishing. 102 p.

    Research output: Book/Report 鈥� Book

  • Bavaj, R., 14 Sept 2022, Reformation, religious culture and print in early modern Europe: essays in honour of Andrew Pettegree, volume 1. der Weduwen, A. & Walsby, M. (eds.). Leiden: Brill, p. 116-127 12 p. (Library of the Written Word; vol. 106).

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding 鈥� Chapter

  • Open access
    Bavaj, R., 27 Jul 2022, In: Tel Aviver Jahrbuch f眉r deutsche Geschichte. 49, p. 266-299

    Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review

  • Bavaj, R. (Editor), Lawson, K. M. (Editor) & Struck, B. (Editor), 31 Dec 2021, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 308 p. (Routledge guides to using historical sources )

    Research output: Book/Report 鈥� Book

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