University of Pittsburgh: Department of History

David Gerlach

Fields:

Modern Central and Eastern Europe, migration, nationalism

MA or PhD research topic:

For Nation and Gain: Economy, Ethnicity and Politics in the Czech Borderlands,
1945-1948

This dissertation investigates the post World War II process of expelling nearly three million German speakers from the Czech lands’ border regions and settling almost two million others in their place. While scholarly studies of the Sudeten German expulsions and of ethnic cleansing generally focus on violence and central leaders’ decision-making, this dissertation argues that economic issues often drove these processes and were a primary concern of officials and settlers alike. This research examines the actions and debates of local governments, called national committees, as well as ministerial and other central government organs from 1945-48.

Teaching experience:

Instructor: Western Civilization II, (July-August 2004);Teaching Assistant: Western Civilization II, (Spring 2002); Western Civilization I, writing course, (Fall 2001); Soviet Russia, (Spring 2001); Russia to 1871, (Fall 2000).

Conference Presentations:
Workshop Participant: National Politics and Population Migrations in Central and Eastern Europe, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, April 2006.

Panel Speaker: Workshop on Property Issues in Postwar Eastern Europe.

Department of History, University of Chicago, May 2005.

“National Identity versus Group Interest in 20th Century Ethnic Cleansing.”
Graduate Program Speaker Series, Department of History, University of Pittsburgh, December 2004.

“The Economy of Ethnic Cleansing: The Expulsion of Germans from Postwar Czechoslovakia.”
University Center for International Studies, University of Pittsburgh, February 2002.

“Individuals Shaping the State: Commissars in the Czech Borderlands, 1945-46.”
American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies Annual Convention,
Washington, D.C., November 2006.

“From the Sudetenland to ?eské pohrani?í: Same Borderlands, Different Borders.”
Center for Russian and East European Studies, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate Student Conference, February 2005.

“To Exempt or Expel: The Issue of German Specialists in Czechoslovakia, 1945-1950.” American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies Annual Convention, Toronto, November 2003.

Publications:

“Working with the Enemy: Labor Politics in the Czech Borderlands, 1945-48.”
Volume 28, Austrian History Yearbook, forthcoming 2007.

Book Review: Benjamin Frommer, National Cleansing: Retribution against Nazi Collaborators in Postwar Czechoslovakia (Cambridge: CUP, 2005) H-Net, Habsburg, forthcoming.

“Displaced Persons,” The Palgrave Dictionary of Transnational History,
(New York: Palgrave-Macmillan, forthcoming).

Fellowships, Awards:

American Council of Learned Societies, East European Dissertation Fellowship, 2004-2005.
U.S. Department of Education, Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship, 2002-2003.

David L. Boren Graduate Fellowship, 2002-2003 (deferred to 2003-2004).
German Marshall Fund Dissertation Research Fellowship, 2002-2003 (declined).

U.S. Department of State, Fulbright Grant, 2002-2003 (declined).

Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowships (Czech, German), 2002-2006 (declined).

University of Pittsburgh, Department of History, Teaching Fellowship, 2000-2002.

Small Research Grant, Center for Russian and East European Studies, University of Pittsburgh, summer, 2001.

Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship (Czech), summer, 2000.

American Councils, Central European Language Program Fellowship, summer, 2000 (declined).

Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship (Russian), 1999-2000.

Social Science Research Council Fellowship, (Russian), summer,1999.

University of Pittsburgh, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Fellowship, 1998-1999.

Boston College, Phi Alpha Theta, 1992-1993.


David Gerlach CV (doc) Email: dwgst11@pitt.edu Fields: Modern Central and Eastern Europe, migration, nationalism MA or PhD research topic: For Nation and Gain: Economy, Ethnicity and Politics in the Czech Borderlands, 1945-1948 This dissertation investigates the post World War II process of expelling nearly three million German speakers from the Czech lands’ border regions and settling almost two million others in their place. While scholarly studies of the Sudeten German expulsions and of ethnic cleansing generally focus on violence and central leaders’ decision-making, this dissertation argues that economic issues often drove these processes and were a primary concern of officials and settlers alike. This research examines the actions and debates of local governments, called national committees, as well as ministerial and other central government organs from 1945-48. Teaching experience: Instructor: Western Civilization II, (July-August 2004);Teaching Assistant: Western Civilization II, (Spring 2002); Western Civilization I, writing course, (Fall 2001); Soviet Russia, (Spring 2001); Russia to 1871, (Fall 2000). Conference Presentations: Workshop Participant: National Politics and Population Migrations in Central and Eastern Europe, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, April 2006. Panel Speaker: Workshop on Property Issues in Postwar Eastern Europe. Department of History, University of Chicago, May 2005. “National Identity versus Group Interest in 20th Century Ethnic Cleansing.” Graduate Program Speaker Series, Department of History, University of Pittsburgh, December 2004. “The Economy of Ethnic Cleansing: The Expulsion of Germans from Postwar Czechoslovakia.” University Center for International Studies, University of Pittsburgh, February 2002. “Individuals Shaping the State: Commissars in the Czech Borderlands, 1945-46.” American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies Annual Convention, Washington, D.C., November 2006. “From the Sudetenland to ?eské pohrani?í: Same Borderlands, Different Borders.” Center for Russian and East European Studies, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate Student Conference, February 2005. “To Exempt or Expel: The Issue of German Specialists in Czechoslovakia, 1945-1950.” American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies Annual Convention, Toronto, November 2003. Publications: “Working with the Enemy: Labor Politics in the Czech Borderlands, 1945-48.” Volume 28, Austrian History Yearbook, forthcoming 2007. Book Review: Benjamin Frommer, National Cleansing: Retribution against Nazi Collaborators in Postwar Czechoslovakia (Cambridge: CUP, 2005) H-Net, Habsburg, forthcoming. “Displaced Persons,” The Palgrave Dictionary of Transnational History, (New York: Palgrave-Macmillan, forthcoming). Fellowships, Awards: American Council of Learned Societies, East European Dissertation Fellowship, 2004-2005. U.S. Department of Education, Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship, 2002-2003. David L. Boren Graduate Fellowship, 2002-2003 (deferred to 2003-2004). German Marshall Fund Dissertation Research Fellowship, 2002-2003 (declined). U.S. Department of State, Fulbright Grant, 2002-2003 (declined). Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowships (Czech, German), 2002-2006 (declined). University of Pittsburgh, Department of History, Teaching Fellowship, 2000-2002. Small Research Grant, Center for Russian and East European Studies, University of Pittsburgh, summer, 2001. Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship (Czech), summer, 2000. American Councils, Central European Language Program Fellowship, summer, 2000 (declined). Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship (Russian), 1999-2000. Social Science Research Council Fellowship, (Russian), summer,1999. University of Pittsburgh, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Fellowship, 1998-1999. Boston College, Phi Alpha Theta, 1992-1993.