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

News
04.09.2025

Rainer Forst awarded the Goethe Plakette of the City of Frankfurt am Main

On September 4, 2025, the political philosopher and Director of the Research Centre Normative Orders Prof. Dr. Rainer Forst was awarded the Goethe Plakette of the City of Frankfurt am Main. With this award, the city honors personalities who have set standards far beyond Frankfurt's borders through their academic work and/or their public impact.

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Event
15.10.2025 | Frankfurt am Main

Aufrecht. Überleben im Zeitalter der Extreme

Book Presentation

In ihrem jüngsten Werk begibt sich Lea Ypi auf eine Reise in die Vergangenheit ihrer Familie und verknüpft persönliche Erinnerungen mit den großen politischen und gesellschaftlichen Umbrüchen des 20. Jahrhunderts. Das Forschungszentrum Normative Ordnungen lädt gemeinsam mit dem Netzwerk FrauenmitFormat, dem Honorarkonsulat der Republik Albanien in Frankfurt am Main und dem Suhrkamp Verlag herzlich zur Vorstellung des neuen Buches von Prof. Dr. Lea Ypi mit anschließender Diskussionsrunde mit Prof. Dr. Lea Ypi, Honorarkonsulin Dr. Jonela Hoxhaj und Prof. Dr. Rainer Forst unter der Moderation von Rebecca C. Schmidt ein.

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Publication
02.09.2025 | Journal article

Beyond Myth Busting: How Engagement with Ethical Dilemmas Can Improve Debates and Policymaking on Migration

Schmid, Lukas; Ruhs, Martin; Bauböck, Rainer; Mourão Permoser, Julia (2025): "Beyond Myth Busting: How Engagement with Ethical Dilemmas Can Improve Debates and Policymaking on Migration". In: Ethics & International Affairs, 39 (1), S. 26-36.

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Publication
01.09.2025 | Journal article

Roundtable: Ethical Dilemmas and Migration Policymaking

Schmid, Lukas; Ruhs, Martin; Bauböck Rainer, Mourão Permoser, Julia (Hrsg.) (2025): "Roundtable: Ethical Dilemmas and Migration Policymaking". In: Ethics & International Affairs, 39 (1)

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Event
17.09.2025 | Frankfurt am Main

Frieden retten! Friedensgutachten 2025

Book Presentation

Der Frieden ist auf dem Rückzug: Russlands Krieg in der Ukraine destabilisiert Europa, der Krieg in Gaza stürzt den Nahen Osten in Leid und Gewalt, und im Sudan hat der Konflikt die größte humanitäre Katastrophe der Welt ausgelöst. Zugleich fällt der globale Stabilitätsanker USA aus. Das Friedensgutachten 2025 zeigt, warum Europa selbst für seine Sicherheit und Verteidigung sorgen und zugleich am Ziel des Friedens festhalten muss.

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Publication
21.08.2025 | Anthology

Autoritäre Treiber eines Systemwechsels. Zur Destabilisierung von Institutionen durch die AfD

Frankenberg, Günter; Heitmeyer, Wilhelm (Hrsg.) (2025): Autoritäre Treiber eines Systemwechsels. Zur Destabilisierung von Institutionen durch die AfD. Campus Verlag.

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News
31.07.2025

Shaping the future - a review

As part of the exhibition "Fixing Futures. Planetary futures between speculation and control", our four-part lecture series "Shaping the future - between climate change, technology and social responsibility" took place.

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News
30.07.2025

What remains of "1968" - event review

What can we learn from the 1968 movement for our own time and where do we perhaps need new ideas and utopias? The event "Utopia and awakening of the 1968ers - What remains of political rebellion and individual self-liberation" on July 14, 2025 at the Historisches Museum was dedicated to these questions

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News
10.07.2025

Impressions from the Crisis Talk "Europe in a multipolar world"

The Crisis Talk "Europe in a multipolar world - How can the EU meet the challenges of major powers?" held on July 1, 2025 at the Representation of the State of Hesse to the European Union was dedicated to the question of how the EU should shape its influence and assume its responsibilities in this international environment.

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