Meritorious honor: Prof. Dr. Hirschfeld shapes historical research!

Meritorious honor: Prof. Dr. Hirschfeld shapes historical research!

On May 15, 2025, Prof. Dr. Michael Hirschfeld received an honor from the Heimatbund für die Oldenburger Münsterland for his outstanding commitment to regional historical research. Hirschfeld, who works as an adjunct professor of modern and contemporary history at the University of Vechta, has not only made a name for himself in the academic world, but also through his many years of voluntary work in the Heimatbund, whose history committee he has chaired for a decade.

Hirschfeld's connection between the university and the Heimatbund is crucial. Manuela Honkomp, the president of the Heimatbund, emphasized in her laudatory speech that Hirschfeld acts as a link and involves students in the association's work. His suggestions for using archive material are important for many students to enrich their presentations and seminar papers. This honor comes at a significant time, as Hirschfeld is stepping down as chairman of the history committee after ten years.

Academic career and commitment

Hirschfeld, born in 1971, studied history and German at the Westphalian Wilhelms University in Münster and passed his first state examination for teaching at high schools in 1997. He received his doctorate in 2001 and passed the second state examination in 2003. From 2003 to 2009 he worked at the Institute for History and Historical Regional Research (IGL) at Vechta University. He then taught at Lohne High School and completed his habilitation in 2011, which earned him the title of private lecturer.

In 2020, Hirschfeld was appointed adjunct professor at the University of Vechta, further solidifying his academic career. He is also a member of the Historical Commission for Lower Saxony and Bremen and the Historical Commission for Silesia. His main research interests include contemporary church history and the regional history of northwest Germany and Silesia.

Research contributions and writings

Hirschfeld has published numerous monographs, anthologies and essays. His most important works include “Catholic Milieu and Expellees” and “The Bishops’ Elections in the German Empire 1887 to 1914”. In addition, he initiated the founding of the Institute for Regional History and Catholicism Research, which is dedicated to researching regional history. He is currently working on projects that deal with historical favorite places in Oldenburger Münsterland as well as the Nazi era and the post-war years in Vechta.

The Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Regional Research e. V. and the HANNOVER REGION publish the series “Materials for Regional History”, the aim of which is to build a bridge between scientific and popular scientific discussion of regional history. This shows how important research on regional issues is, a cause that Hirschfeld actively supports in his work and publications. For further information about the topics and publications in this series, please visit the website Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Regional Research.

Overall, Michael Hirschfeld's honor underlines how complex and valuable the combination of academic knowledge and community engagement in historical research is. His work and efforts not only have a direct impact on students, but also on the region's cultural memory.