Katerina Kralova

Professor in Modern History | Head of the Research Centre for Memory Studies (IIS FSS CUNI) | ERC Scientific Council Member | Holocaust & Postwar Europe

Prague, Czechia

About

I am a historian of contemporary Europe specializing in Holocaust memory, postwar reconstruction, and the politics of reconciliation in Southeast Europe. My research examines how societies confront traumatic pasts, negotiate responsibility, and construct collective memory across generations. I serve as Full Professor of Modern History at Charles University and Head of the Research Centre for Memory Studies. I am also a member of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council (ERC) and actively involved in international research networks across Europe and North America. My work combines archival research, oral history, and interdisciplinary approaches, bridging history, memory studies, and political culture. I have led and participated in major international research projects funded by European and national bodies, and my publications focus on Holocaust survivors, postwar justice, displacement, and the entanglements of German–Southeast European history. My recent book, Homecoming: Holocaust Survivors and Greece, 1941–46 (Brandeis University Press), explores the complex trajectories of return, belonging, and memory in postwar Europe. Research Areas • Holocaust memory • Postwar justice & restitution • Greek-German relations • Oral history • Collective trauma

Experience

  • Member of the Scientific Council at European Research Council (ERC)
    2026 - Present · 6 mos

    member of the European Research Council Scientific Council.

  • Academic Council Member at Holocaust Educational Foundation of Northwestern University (HEFNU)
    2025 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos

    Academic Council Member at the Holocaust Educational Foundation of Northwestern University.

  • Elected Member at Learned Society of the Czech Republic
    2024 - Present · 2 yrs 6 mos

    Elected member of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic.

  • Founder & Co-Chair of the Partner Branch at Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft e.V.
    2024 - Present · 2 yrs 6 mos

    Co-founder and Co-Chair of the Prague Partner Office of the Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft, strengthening scholarly exchange between Central and Southeast Europe.

  • Charles University (Prague, Czechia)
    • Full Professor
      Nov 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 8 mos

    • Head of the Research Centre for Memory Studies
      2022 - Present · 4 yrs 6 mos

      Head of the Research Centre for Memory Studies, coordinating interdisciplinary research activities, academic collaboration, and international initiatives in the field of memory studies.