History

My primary interest in history research is through the lens of microhistory, which examines historical developments not from kings and empires, but through ordinary, sometimes mundane, people and events. My paper on the German conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler* looks at moral responsibilities and decision-making as an apolitical individual under totalitarian regimes. The Furtwängler case, like many others, is about navigating roles and sacrifices when it is impossible to make a perfect decision. His story, to me, is history, more touching than ever. Similarly, I’ve conducted research on a single idea in German diplomacy, the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat, and I am organizing an exhibition on my local town’s obscure food history, rich but long ignored.

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*This paper is perhaps best read when Furtwängler’s own recording is played.