For its department, Globalisations in a Divided World, the Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History Potsdam (ZZF) is seeking 

one Research Fellow 

The position is full-time (40 hours per week) and initially limited to 12 months. Part-time employment is possible. Remuneration is based on pay scale 13 TV-L. 

The ZZF’s department, Globalisations in a Divided World, is tasked with analysing the interplay between connecting and dividing dynamics in contemporary processes of historical globalisation. Its collective work centres around researching how spatial, social, political, cultural and ethnic differences are formed in and through processes of global interaction. In regional terms, it concentrates on analysing German and European history from a global perspective, especially in the post-1945 period. Interactions between actors from Germany, Europe and selected regions of the Global South form a particular area of focus.  

Your duties: 

  • Devising and working independently on an innovative research project within the Globalisations in a Divided World department
  • Supporting the activities and helping to develop this research department
  • Collaborating with the ZZF’s other departments as well as German and international partners on concepts and content
  • Presenting your research work in the context of academic teaching and to the general public 

You will have:  

  • A university degree in history or a related discipline
  • An excellent doctorate in modern or contemporary history
  • A sound knowledge of methods, debates and institutions pertaining to contemporary history as well as global and international history
  • A proven track record of research into 20th-century history
  • Familiarity with a range of research fields and methods in German and international contemporary history
  • Previous work on a research topic that examines contemporary German and European history in its global contexts
  • An extensive knowledge of methods, debates and institutions pertaining to contemporary history 

Ideally, you will also have:  

  • Previous publications on the topic forming the subject of your intended project  
  • Experience in university teaching  
  • Good communication skills and the ability to work well in a team  
  • The ability to work independently and in a structured way  
  • Language skills in German and English; another language is desirable 

The ZZF is a research institute specialising in German and European contemporary history and a member of the Leibniz Association. We offer you a challenging and varied working environment with a motivating and friendly working atmosphere as well as flexible working hours. We place great importance on developing our employees’ academic skills and help them to gain additional qualifications. 

The ZZF Potsdam promotes equal opportunities, as well as social and cultural diversity. This job opening is open to people of all genders (m/w/d). According to the ZZF's equal opportunity plan, applications from women will be given special consideration. Qualified applicants with disabilities will be given preference if they are otherwise essentially equally qualified, competent, and professionally qualified. 

Please send your full application (CV, certificates, a project outline of around 1,000 words) by 22 February 2026 by email to bewerbung [at] zzf-potsdam [dot] de, putting “WM 01-2026” in the subject line. Applications can only be accepted as a single PDF file. 

If you would like further information on the remit of the role, please email Prof. Dr. Isabella Löhr at isabella [dot] loehr [at] zzf-potsdam [dot] de. 

During the application procedure, we will store and process the data that you send us. You can object to this at any time by emailing bewerbung [at] zzf-potsdam [dot] de. Our Privacy Notice at https://zzf-potsdam.de/en/privacy-notice provides you with comprehensive information on how your personal data is collected, processed and used. It also contains a link to a PGP public key, should you wish to send your application in a digitally encrypted form.

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