I was invited by NFDI4Memory (@nfdi.de) and @ghiwashington.bsky.social to write about my experiences in #digitalhistory. You can find my musings on the ins and outs of working on a digital edition under the following link: href.hypotheses.org/5911

Die digitale Edition der Briefe Kaiser Wilhelms I. und Kaiserin Augustas zwischen 1857 und 1871 geht online! Seit 2023 arbeite ich an der @unitrier.bsky.social an diesem follow-up-Forschungsprojekt zu meiner Dissertation, gefördert durch die @dfg.de. augusta-wilhelm-briefwechsel.uni-trier.de/home

I was interviewed by NWZ on the role Wilhelm I played in the founding of Wilhelmshaven and how a city named after the first Kaiser could handle the legacy of a historic figure that did not steer German history onto the course of democracy. www.nwzonline.de/wilhelmshave...

As the books written by Susanne Bauer (@bbaw.bsky.social), @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social and me have ignited a scholarly debate, I was asked by @kulturspk.bsky.social to pen an essay for SPKMagazin, summarizing our new perspectives on Prussian and German history. www.spkmagazin.de/2026/forschu...

Tagber: Kämpfe um den Liberalismus: Zur Theorie, Geschichte und Kritik liberalen Denkens https://www.hsozkult.de/conferencereport/id/fdkn-161497 Hamburg, 19.02.2026-20.02.2026, Jonas von Bockel, Hamburg; Lennart Riebe, Hamburg; Patrick Samtlebe, Hamburg; Joshua Folkerts, Rostock; Julian Nicolai …

Sex sellls, they say. That certainly seems to be the case when it comes to royal affairs, as now there's a second press article out on my research into Wilhelm I's extramarital adventures, penned by Berthold Seewald. History need not be boring and dusty! www.welt.de/geschichte/a...

If you ever wondered wether #KaiserWilhelm was a romantic man, check out the latest episode of @flurfunkgeschichte.bsky.social, in which my book is (rightfully!) called out for not giving much attention to this biographical aspect of Wilhelm I. flurfunk-geschichte.de/67-kaiser-wi...

When filming a @zdfde.bsky.social documentary on my research last month, I was interviewed by „WELT am Sonntag“ on #Bismarck, #Reichsgründung and #Kaiserreich, which is out in print now as well as online... with the most clickbait-y headline possible. Oh, well... www.welt.de/geschichte/a...

If you happen to come across the latest issue of G/Geschichte about #Reichsgründung and #Kaiserreich, don't be fooled by #Bismarck on the cover, as it also contains articles highlighting the books by Susanne Bauer (@bbaw.bsky.social) @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social and me on Kaiser and Kaiserin. Thanks!

Wir haben @janmarkert.bsky.social t.bsky.social und @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social eingeladen, in Stendal ihre Forschungen über die politische Rolle Kaiser Wilhelms I. vorzustellen. Gastgeberin war die Buchhandlung Winckelmann, unsere wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin Luisa Götz moderierte den Abend.

If you ever wondered how #Bismarck came to dominate the historiography of the founding of the German #Kaiserreich, you might be interested in my latest essay published over at „Geschichtsbewusst“ (public history by Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung). www.kas.de/de/web/gesch...

Wir treffen uns morgen mit @janmarkert.bsky.social und @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social in der Stendaler Buchhandlung Winckelmann:

If you missed last year's book presentation (@degruyterbrill.bsky.social, @springernature.com, @dunckerhumblot.bsky.social) by Susanne Bauer, @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social and myself at the Historische Kommission zu Berlin, you can now listen to the recording: hikopod.podigee.io/41-kaiserpaar

To paraphrase the late great Robert Duvall: I love the smell of Druckfahnen in the morning. The volume „Das Erfurter Unionsparlament 1850. Zwischen demokratischem Aufbruch und Reaktionspolitik“ is due to be published later this year. #Bismarck #Reichsgründung #Kaiserreich #Hohenzollern

Programm: Workshop zur Theorie, Geschichte u. Kritik liberalen Denkens, Hamburg, 19.-20. Februar 26.

If reading 800 pages sounds like a bit of a chore, you might want to wait for the documentary on my research I filmed with Terra X History (@zdfde.bsky.social) at the GStA PK archive (@kulturspk.bsky.social) today, complete with talking head interviews and combing through dusty archival folders.

If you check out the latest podcast episode of Geschichte Europas, you'll catch Ulf Morgenstern of @bismarckstiftung.bsky.social and me talking in depth about the relationship of Otto von Bismarck and his imperial master Wilhelm I. Give it a listen! geschichteeuropas.podigee.io/575-575

Thanks to @m-pfaffenzeller.bsky.social and @spiegel.de I was given the opportunity to highlight a different side of German Emperor Wilhelm I, involving extramarital affairs, illegitimate children and a royal court attempting to prevent a public scandal. www.spiegel.de/geschichte/k...

I was reading Wolfgang Kruse's updated @bpb.de article on the founding of the German Empire, when I noticed my book on Wilhelm I (@degruyterbrill.bsky.social) is now listed as one of the reference works on the topic. What an honour! Thank you! www.bpb.de/themen/kolon...

Year two of our book tour is about to begin! On 26 February 2026, @janmarkert.bsky.social (@unitrier.bsky.social) and I (@humanitiesuu.bsky.social) will present our books at Buchhandlung Winckelmann in Stendal, during an evening organised by @bismarckstiftung.bsky.social. All welcome at 6:30 PM!

@flurfunkgeschichte.bsky.social just released a new podcast episode on Bismarck – the second act of a two-parter –, giving an informative and entertaining view on the history of German unification as well as debunking popular myths about the „Iron Chancellor“: flurfunk-geschichte.de/64-irgendwas...

If you happen to be in Hamburg next month, I'll be speaking at @uni-hamburg.de on the history of liberalism and conservatism in 19th Century Germany.

Marking one year since the publication of my book on Wilhelm I as German Emperor! And what a fantastic year it has been: reviews in leading newspapers, the first academic reviews and above all the book tour with Susanne Bauer (@bbaw.bsky.social) and @janmarkert.bsky.social (@unitrier.bsky.social)!

For those interested in my two cents on what newly published archival material can tell us about the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, my review of Christine Klössel's „Die Korrespondenz des preußischen Kronprinzenpaares“ was just published over at @hsozkult.bsky.social. www.hsozkult.de/publicationr...

New year, new publication! I received my copy of „Es lebe die Freiheit! Menschen in der Revolution 1848/49. Biografiegeschichtliche Porträts“, edited by Elisabeth Thalhofer and Andrej Bartuschka, highlighting several prominent figures of 1848/49, including a chapter on Wilhelm I penned by myself.

„Gewissermaßen als Kontrapunkt im Band versucht Jan Markert, die übersehene Bedeutung Wilhelms I. in der deutschen Kolonialpolitik herauszustreichen.“ How boring (and uninsightful) would historiography be if we never questioned traditional narratives? Thanks for the shoutout, Prof. Hettling!

In his latest highly interesting interview, Christopher Clark mentions „two powerful new books“ (@degruyterbrill.bsky.social & @springernature.com) changing our understanding of Kaiser and Kaiserreich (at 27:07)... penned by @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social and myself! www.ppfideas.com/episodes/tru...

For those interested in my two cents on the limitations of writing a modern comprehensive history of Imperial Germany, my review of Roger Chickering's „The German Empire, 1871-1918“ was just published over at @hsozkult.bsky.social. www.hsozkult.de/publicationr...

Last night, Susanne Bauer (@bbaw.bsky.social), @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social and I had the pleasure of „playing“ a full house in Bad Homburg, presenting our books on Kaiser and Kaiserin (@degruyterbrill.bsky.social, @springernature.com & dunckerhumblot.bsky.social) to an audience of about 100 people.

One more for the road! Tomorrow evening, Susanne Bauer (@bbaw.bsky.social), @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social and I will present our books on Kaiser and Kaiserin with Eckart Conze (@unimarburg.bsky.social) and Jacco Pekelder (@uni-muenster.de) in Bad Homburg. www.schloesser-hessen.de/de/bewahren/...

I am grateful to @oeaw.bsky.social and @ihb-oeaw.bsky.social for having invited me to their „Dynasties in the Age of Revolution 1780-1850“ conference in Vienna and having allowed me to talk about my research on that most interesting topic and share the stage with many, many expert historians!

On the road again! Susanne Bauer (@bbaw.bsky.social), @janmarkert.bsky.social (@unitrier.bsky.social) and I (@humanitiesuu.bsky.social) will travel to Bad Homburg next week to present our books with the Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Hessen and discuss our arguments with

„Jan Markerts Text gewinnt seine Wucht aus der dichten Quellengrundlage und der chronologischen, teils dramatischen Erzählweise. Auch wenn sein Text lang ist, habe ich ihn gern und mit Spannung gelesen. [...] Es ist außergewöhnlich, dass Dissertationen einen solch großen Effekt erzielen.“

If you happen to be in Vienna this week, feel free to visit the @oeaw.bsky.social conference „Ruling Dynasties in the Age of Revolution“, where I'll be speaking on the troublesome relationship between two royal brothers (which changed the course of German history). www.oeaw.ac.at/detail/veran...

This Friday November 6th, I'll be speaking on German monarchies and the conflicting legacy of the Revolutions of 1848/49 at the international conference „Imagining Revolution. Cultural Transfers and Reinterpretations of 19th-Century Revolutionary Experiences in Europe“ in Budapest.

Monarchische Macht im 19. Jahrhundert. Kaiser Wilhelm I. und Kaiserin Augusta im Lichte neuer Forschung – Susanne Bauer, @janmarkert.bsky.social und @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social diskutierten auf dem Historikertag in Bonn mit Ulf Morgenstern ihre Forschungsergebnisse. www.hsozkult.de/conferencere...

„Statt „Monarchische Macht“ hätte der Sektionstitel auch „ad fontes“ lauten können. Denn alle drei Beiträge liefern den stichhaltigen Beweis, wie gewinnbringend die Konsultation archivalischer Quellen sein kann – selbst für vermeintlich „ausgeforschte“ Gegenstände.“

Mooie bespreking op @historiek.bsky.social van de boeken van Susanne Bauer (@bbaw.bsky.social), @janmarkert.bsky.social (@unitrier.bsky.social) en mij (@utrechtuniversity.bsky.social) en de boekpresentatie vorige week bij @humanitiesuu.bsky.social, met de respons historiek.net/wilhelm-i-bi...

Yesterday, Susanne Bauer (@bbaw.bsky.social), @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social and me discussed our books on Kaiser and Kaiserin at @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social together with Christopher Clark (@camhistory.bsky.social), @beatricedegraaf.bsky.social and Frans Willem Lantink, moderated by Erik de Lange.

And…Sir Christopher Clark, on how the monarchical factor is back en vogue! Comparing how monarchs of Prussia staged their royal rule with how today’s populist leaders try to emulate such pomp and circumstance

Second in line: @janmarkert.bsky.social, on how Wilhelm l frustrated reforms in Prussia, and tried to work around the constitution when he could:

Happening today at @humanitiesuu.bsky.social - new perspectives on Prussian history in the 19th century, with Susanne Bauer (@bbaw.bsky.social), @janmarkert.bsky.social (@unitrier.bsky.social), @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social (@utrechtuniversity.bsky.social), Christopher Clark (@camhistory.bsky.social),

Two more days to go until these four books are presented at @humanitiesuu.bsky.social! Join Susanne Bauer (@bbaw.bsky.social), @janmarkert.bsky.social (@unitrier.bsky.social), @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social, Christopher Clark (@camhistory.bsky.social), @beatricedegraaf.bsky.social,

Rez: D. Brennecke: Attentat ohne Täter https://www.hsozkult.de/publicationreview/id/reb-153337 D. Brennecke: Attentat ohne Täter

Our book tour shows no signs of slowing down! On November 18th, Susanne Bauer (@bbaw.bsky.social), @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social) and I will discuss Kaiser, Kaiserin and Kaiserreich together with @econze.bsky.social at Schloss Bad Homburg, a rather fitting historical backdrop for such an event.

Wilhelm I. war ein schwacher Monarch, der von Bismarck dominiert wurde. Der Historiker Jan Markert stellt dieses Bild in einer neuen Biographie Wilhelms infrage. Wir haben mit ihm gesprochen. lisa.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de/lisa_am_tele...

I just so happened to answer the phone when @lisa.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de called to talk about my research. You can listen to the interview under the following link: lisa.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de/lisa_am_tele...

Next week on October 15th, Christopher Clark (@camhistory.bsky.social), Susanne Bauer (@bbaw.bsky.social), @ffsterkenburgh.bsky.social, and I will present our four newly published books at @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social. Each book sheds light on a different facet of 19th Century Prussian history.

Save the date! On November 25th I'll be speaking @uni-kiel.de on the Second Schlewsig War of 1864. Several chapters of my PhD thesis cover this important event in both German and Danish history, using previously unknown archival sources.

📢 CHANGED DATE AND TIMES! RE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED 📢 Our combined book presentations, will now take place on 15 October 2025 – conveniently all in one day! Please re-register by scanning the QR-code on the posters or fill in the new registration link: forms.office.com/e/wDziGHi7Yi