Former Fellow

Christopher Clark

Professor of Modern European History, Cambridge University

Research project:
“Europe and the Beginning of World War I”

Over a long period of time, research has intensively explored the question of the extent to which the political and intellectual climate of the German Empire bore particular responsibility for the escalation of the military conflict and the outbreak of the First World War, or even sought to bring it about. In public events and academic colloquia in Frankfurt and Bad Homburg, Christopher Clark discusses the current state of the debate on the interplay between mentalities and the short-lived consequences of events against the background of his own research findings.

Events:

May 22 – 23, 2014
International conference
Europa 1914. Der Weg ins Unbekannte
With Prof. Dr. Christopher Clark (Cambdrige Unviversity) and others
Location: Goethe University Frankfurt am Main and Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften in Bad Homburg v. d. H.
Organizer: Goethe University Frankfurt am Main – Chair of Modern History in cooperation with the Cluster of Excellence “The Formation of Normative Orders”, the Historical College in the Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften and other partners

May 26, 2014, 7 pm
Frankfurter Stadtgespräch XV
Who started it? The Sense and Nonsense of Historical Attributions of Guilt
Prof. Dr. Christopher Clark (Cambridge University) in conversation with Prof. Dr. Christoph Cornelißen (Associate Member of the Cluster of Excellence “The Formation of Normative Orders” and Professor of Modern History, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main)
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Klaus Günther (Co-Speaker of the Cluster of Excellence “The Formation of Normative Orders” and Professor of Legal Theory, Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main)
Location: Historisches Museum Frankfurt am Main
Organizer: Cluster of Excellence “The Formation of Normative Orders” with the Cultural Office of the City of Frankfurt am Main

29 May 2014, 6 p.m.
Lecture as part of the centenary celebrations of Goethe University Frankfurt am Main
Prof. Dr. Christopher Clark (Cambridge University)
Wilhelminian Germany and the University of Frankfurt: The Context of the War Year
Location: Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Westend Campus, HZ 1
Organizer: Cluster of Excellence “The Formation of Normative Orders”

  • Biografische Angaben

    Christopher Clark is a joint Fellow of the Cluster of Excellence "The Formation of Normative Orders" and the Historical College at the Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. Clark was already a Fellow at the Forschungskolleg in Bad Homburg in 2009 at the invitation of the Cluster of Excellence. Christopher Clark is Professor of Modern European History at St. Catharine's College, Cambridge. One of his main areas of research is the history of Prussia. Born in Australia, he is the author of a biography of Kaiser Wilhelm II. He was awarded the Wolfson Prize in 2007 for his book "Prussia" and in 2010 was the first non-German-speaking historian to receive the Historisches Kolleg München Prize, known as the "German Historians' Prize". For his most recent work "Die Schlafwandler. Wie Europa in den Ersten Weltkrieg zog", Clark received the Bruno Kreisky Prize for the Political Book in spring 2014.
  • Publikationen

    The Sleepwalkers. How Europe went to War in 1914, Allen Lane, London u. a. 2012 (dt.: Die Schlafwandler. Wie Europa in den Ersten Weltkrieg zog, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, München 2013). Kaiser Wilhelm II. A life in power, Penguin, London 2009. Kaiser Wilhelm II, Longman, Harlow u. a. 2000 (dt.: Wilhelm II. Die Herrschaft des letzten deutschen Kaisers. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, München 2008). Iron Kingdom. The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600–1947, Allen Lane, London u. a. 2006 (dt.: Preußen. Aufstieg und Niedergang. 1600–1947, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, München 2007). The politics of conversion. Missionary Protestantism and the Jews in Prussia, 1728–1941, Clarendon Press, Oxford u. a. 1995.

News from the research center

Event
27./28.11.2025 | Frankfurt am Main

Reconsidering Legal Subjectivity In and Through the Anthropocene

Conference

Internationale Konferenz organisiert vom Wissenschaftsnetzwerk Recht im Anthropozän (RiA) in Kooperation mit dem Forschungszentrum Normative Ordnungen.

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Event
06.11.2025 | Brussels

Menschenrechte unter Druck: Wie kann die EU zivilgesellschaftliches Engagement in Zeiten globaler Machtverschiebungen stärken?

Panel Discussion, Lecture

Zivilgesellschaftliche Akteure, die sich für Menschenrechte einsetzen, sehen sich nicht nur in autoritären Staaten zunehmender politischer Gewalt ausgesetzt – seien es rechtliche Einschränkungen, digitale Eingriffe wie Internetshutdowns oder physische, gar tödliche Gewalt. Die EU bekennt sich zum Schutz der Menschenrechte und unterstützt zivilgesellschaftliche Initiativen. Doch wie wirksam sind diese Maßnahmen? Dieser Crisis Talk bringt politische, wissenschaftliche und zivilgesellschaftliche Perspektiven zusammen.

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News
23.10.2025

Vinzenz Hediger becomes new director of the Cinémathèque suisse

Prof. Dr. Vinzenz Hediger will become Director of the Cinémathèque suisse in Lausanne from January 2026. The Cinémathèque suisse has been preserving, restoring and promoting Swiss and international film heritage since 1948. It is recognized by the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) as one of the ten most important cinematheques in the world - due to the size, diversity and quality of its collections.

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News
23.10.2025

Book launch of Lea Ypis "Indignity. A Life Reimagined" at the Frankfurt Book Fair

As part of the book presentation of Lea Ypis "Indignity. A Life Reimagined" on October 15, questions about dignity, identity, freedom and responsibility in times of extreme historical change were discussed.

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Publication
23.10.2025 | Monograph

Exemplarity in Global Politics

Noyes, Dorothy; Wille, Tobias (2025): Exemplarity in Global Politics. Bristol University Press. (Link)

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Event
15.11.2025 | Frankfurt am Main

Bedingt einsatzbereit – Wehrdienst und die Pflicht zum Dienst am Staat

Panel Discussion, Lecture

Ein Gespenst geht wieder um in Deutschland – 2026 kommt der Wehrdienst zurück „Zunächst freiwillig“, wie es heißt. Angesichts der veränderten Sicherheitslage in Europa seit dem russischen Angriff auf die Ukraine ist die Frage nach der "Kriegstüchtigkeit" wieder aktuell – und mit ihr die Frage, was Einzelne für den Staat leisten sollen.

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Event
06./07.11.2025 | Frankfurt am Main

Kolja Möller - Volk und Elite

Workshop

Workshop zum "Buch Volk und Elite - Eine Gesellschaftstheorie des Populismus" von Kolja Möller

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Publication
01.10.2025 | Encyclopedia

Moralisieren

Schmelzle, Cord (2025): „Moralisieren“. In: Pollmann, Anna; Möllmann, Christopher: Schlüsselbegriffe gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalts. Ein kritisches Vokabular, Wallstein, S. 544–561.

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Publication
01.10.2025 | Anthology

Dis.Ordering Distribution. Infrastructures, Formats and Practices in the Circulation of Culture.

Storz, Cornelia; Hediger, Vinzenz; Krings, Matthias (eds.) (2025): Dis.Ordering Distribution. Infrastructures, Formats and Practices in the Circulation of Culture. Emerald Publishing.

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