Associate Professor Andrew Beattie
BA Hons, PhD Sydney
I am an internationallyÌýrecognised historian of Germany, with particular expertise on Germany'sÌýtransitions from Nazism after 1945 and East German communism after 1989. ÌýI am an Associate Professor in German and European StudiesÌýin the School of Humanities and Languages at the University of New South Wales, Sydney.ÌýI studied History and German Studies at the universities of Sydney and Potsdam and have a PhD in History from the University of Sydney. I have held funded fellowships at the Centre for Contemporary History in Potsdam, the European University Institute in Florence, and at the universities of Constance and Cologne. I previously taught in the International Studies program at UTS and have been at UNSW since 2008.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
2019 Research Fellowship for experienced researchers from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.Ìý
2011 ARC Discovery ProjectÌýgrantÌý(DP110100300)
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My research spans the fields of history, 'transitional justice' (the search for accountability after political transitions and regime changes), and 'memory studies' (processes of remembering, forgetting and representing the past). Empirically, my research explores the handling of the Nazi and communist legacies in Germany and beyond. Building on my previous work, including my first book on unified Germany's handling of the East German communist past, my research has had three related areas of emphasis.
First, I have become a recognised authority on the politics of memory in contemporary Germany, especially the connections and competitions between the Nazi and the communist pasts.
Second, I have contributed to the interdisciplinary field of transitional justice, looking beyond Germany to consider post-communist Eastern Europe more broadly.
Third, I have pursued an ambitious project on a neglected and misunderstood aspect of post-Nazi transitional justice: the victorious Allies'Ìýinternment of over 400,000 German civilians in postwar Germany.
My 2020 book, Allied Internment Camps in Occupied Germany, published by Cambridge University Press, has received overwhelmingly positive reviews in the leading journals in the field:
- 'impressive', 'systematic', 'nuanced', 'persuasive', 'Beattie's book will interest all historians of the postwar occupation of Germany' (Central European History)
- 'powerfully argued',Ìý'the depth and insight of this book, written by an expert in post-war German history, make it highly valuable reading for those interested in the Allied occupations, transitional justice and the legacies and aftermath of Nazism' (German History)
- 'clear and decisive', 'this book's contribution to understanding the similarities and differences between the occupying powers is unrivalled', 'the depth and range of the sources is striking' (European History Quarterly)
- 'an essential contribution' (H-War).
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I have beenÌýinvited to give public lectures and media interviews on German history and politics in Australia and Germany, including a ceremonial address before Brandenburg’s political elite in 2018.
I regularly engageÌýwith the German and German Studies communities in Australia.ÌýI am a Research Ambassador for the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and participate in the German Consul-GeneralsÌýGerman Language Network. I cooperate with the Goethe Institute Sydney and with the Palace Festival of German Films inÌýorganising and speaking at public events.
IÌýam a member of the following disciplinary and professional associations:ÌýAustralian Historical Association;ÌýAustralasian Association for Communist andÌýPost-communist Studies;ÌýAustralasian Association for European History;ÌýAustralasian Association of von Humboldt Fellows;ÌýContemporary European Studies Association of Australia;ÌýLanguages and CulturesÌýNetwork for Australian Universities;ÌýGerman Studies Association (USA);ÌýGerman Studies Association of Australia.
My Teaching
In 2018 I was awarded a Dean's TeachingÌýAward for excellent teaching.Ìý100% of students are regularly satisfied with my teaching.
In recent years I have taught the following courses:Ìý
- Concepts of Europe (ARTS1780)
- Contemporary Europe in Crisis (ARTS1782)
- Contemporary Germany (ARTS3780)
- Confronting the Past in Contemporary Europe (ARTS3786)
- Understanding Nazi Germany (ARTS3295)
I also contribute to History of the Present (ARTS1271) and to History Honours and German language courses.