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Indiana University Bloomington
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Günther Jikeli

Erna B. Rosenfeld Professor in Jewish Studies, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and Germanic Studies

I am a historian and sociologist of modern Europe, with particular interests in the History of antisemitism. I have been puzzled by highly irrational antisemitic beliefs and have tried to come to an understanding of such ways of thinking.

My recent book on European Muslim antisemitism looks into patterns of argumentations: how do people – young Muslims in this case – try to justify negative views of Jews? The book is the result of sociological research from a de-essentializing perspective.

My previous book (editor) on forced labor from 1936 to 1945 at Peenemunde for the construction of the V2 Rocket under technical director Wernher von Braun underlines the irrationality of this endeavorer that led to immense suffering. My book (with Joëlle Allouche-Benayoun) on perceptions of the Holocaust in Europe and Muslim communities is a collection of studies in today's – often problematic – views of the Holocaust, focusing on Western Europe.

My research focuses on online and offline forms of contemporary antisemitism.

Dr. Jikeli offers supervision and advice for students who wish to study antisemitism or who are writing a thesis related to antisemitism. Different methods and approaches of critical antisemitism studies will be discussed. He is available every Wednesday 10-12 or by appointment

Education

  • “Diplom” (M.A.) at Technical University Berlin 2004
  • Ph.D. at Technical University Berlin 2011

Awards

  • Raoul Wallenberg Prize in Human Rights and Holocaust Studies (2013)

Research Interests

  • Antisemitism after the Holocaust
  • Racism, discrimination & education
  • Jewish-Muslim relations
  • National Socialism: forced labor and the Holocaust
  • Comparative history, including German-French-British comparisons
  • 20th-Century European history

Courses Recently Taught

  • Jewish Identities in France and the New Antisemitism
  • The History of Jews in France
  • Antisemitism: A Sociohistorical Perspective

Publication Highlights

Books and Edited Volumes