Ulrich von Hehl (born 19 October 1947) is a Germanhistorian and university professor.[1] He has published extensively, mostly on German history in the twentieth century, and with a particular focus on the role played by theRoman Catholic church and its interaction with politics.[2][3]
Ulrich von Hehl was born into aRoman Catholic family inViersen, a manufacturing town in the extreme west ofGermany'sBritish occupation zone located between theDutch frontier andDüsseldorf.[4] Between 1958 and 1959 he attended theGymnasium (school) in Viersen, before moving on to theMoltkeplatz Gymnasium (school) atKrefeld roughly 15 miles (24 km) to the northeast of Viersen, which he attended tillsuccessfully completing his school career in 1966. There followed a period ofmilitary service after which, between 1969 and 1974, he studiedHistory andGermanistics at theUniversity of Bonn.[1] His doctorate followed in 1977. His dissertation concerned the Catholic Church and National Socialism in theArchbishopric of Cologne during the twelveNazi years.[5] and was supervised byKonrad Repgen. He pursued a career in history for a period, heading up theCommission for Contemporary History inBonn.[6] with which he has been associated since 1977. He received hishabilitation (higher academic qualification) in 1987, still from Bonn University, for a piece of biographical work onChancellor Wilhelm Marx (1863-1946).[7] In 1989/90 he briefly occupied a teaching chair at theUniversity of Augsburg.[4] Moving east, between 1992 and 2013 he held a professorship in contemporary and latest history atLeipzig University, retiring in April 2013.[8]
Ulrich von Hehl's research focus covers Catholicism in Germany, the"Weimar" period and aspects of theNazi years.[9] His various memberships include a place on the Academic Advisory Board of theHaus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland ("House of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany"). He is also deputy board chairman of the Horst Springer Foundation for Contemporary and Latest History in Saxony. He has been involved in preparing the fourth volume, covering the period from 1914, of a four volume History of the City of Leipzig, produced in 2015 to celebrate the city's anniversary.[10]
{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help){{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)