Department of History
JFKI History Department, Winter Semester 2024/25
News
The History Department of the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies is deeply saddened by the loss of our retired colleague, Prof. em. Dr. Knud Krakau, who served as chair of the JFKI’s history department, from 1974 to 2000. Please click here for the obituary by Prof. Dr. Manfred Berg (Universität Heidelberg), formerly both a student of Knud Krakau's and member of the Department of History at the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies.
History Department Profile
The Department of History at the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies offers a range of courses designed to familiarize students with the past and foster their ability to think clearly and critically, to write effectively, and to read intelligently. Departmental courses cover the breadth of the human experience across the entire North American continent as well as the region’s interaction with the rest of the world -- a complex subject matter that can be retraced in a wealth of archival sources, intricate literature and diverse teaching styles. Students begin by taking introductory survey courses, then sign up for classes helping them to narrow down their specific interest. Courses focus on the history of United States, Canada, the Atlantic World, and the region’s interaction with Africa, the Middle East, Australia and the Pacific Rim. Subjects include but are not limited to politics, diplomacy, minorities, women, economics, intellectual ideas, and law.
The Department offers courses of study leading to the B.A. and the M. A. in North American Studies as well as the Ph.D. degree in history. Our courses are open to students of North American Studies as well as to students of history (Friedrich-Meinecke-Institut). Moreover, students of related fields such as English, political science, international relations, area studies, law and related fields can likewise participate in individual courses after consultation with the instructor. All courses require students to have a Blackboard account.
Contact
Address
Freie Universität Berlin
John F. Kennedy Institute
for North American Studies
Department of History
Lansstraße 7-9
14195 Berlin
Department Chair
Prof. Jessica Gienow-Hecht
for all requests please use:
historystudents@jfki.fu-berlin.de
Office
Cyntia Kossmann (room 215)
phone: 838-52 474
email: history@jfki.fu-berlin.de
Office Hours
Winter Semester 2024/25
Jessica Gienow-Hecht: Mondays, 1-2pm
Helen Gibson, Wednesdays at 11-1 pm or by appointment, room 207
Anne van der Pas, Tuesdays at 12-1 pm, room 213
Ethan Ruby, Wednesdays at 12-14pm, room 213
The front office can be reached Monday-Friday from 10am-1pm or by phone (838-52474) and email (history@jfki.fu-berlin.de
REQUESTS
If you require a letter of recommendation by Prof. Gienow-Hecht, please get in touch 8 weeks BEFORE the deadline by filling out this form and sending it in to: historystudents@jfki.fu-berlin.de along with your cv and a current transcript of records.
Course Credits and Conversion of Courses:
We have removed the PDF accreditation form from the JFKI website because of the high percentage of forms submitted incomplete or containing incorrect information in the past. You will now obtain the form after attending WebEx office hours; please send a message to david.bosold@fu-berlin.de to make an appointment.
For more detailed information on course credits and conversion of courses please see our website.
For information about BA thesis / completion of studies please see our website.
For information about MA thesis / completion of studies please see our website.