Robert C. Kunath, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Chairman
Department of History and Political Science

Education: University of Chicago, B.A. (with honors) 1980; Stanford University, M.A. 1983; Ph.D. 1993

Courses: World Civilization; Making History: Historiography and Research Methods; Modern Germany 1900-2000; Ancient Greece and Rome; Problems in Germany History; The Holocaust; The Age of Enlightenment and Revolution 1715-1799; Modern European History 1789-2000

Achievements: Fellow, Summer Institute on the Holocaust and Jewish Civilization—Northwestern University 1998; Research participant, Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 1999

Research Interest: Interaction between politics and culture in Germany between 1870-1945; Hannah Arendt's interpretation of totalitarianism and of Holocaust perpetrators; involvement of the German Army in the Holocaust.

"A history class can prepare you for more than Trivial Pursuit®," says Professor Robert Kunath. "Learning what historical lessons are relevant to us, and then systematically analyzing and writing about them are eminently practical skills—skills that will help students build successful careers no matter what path they choose."

Kunath's passion for his subject matter goes back a long way. He credits a documentary he saw in junior high school on the Third Reich for inspiring him.

"The film was both shocking and absorbing and it's why I became a historian," he recalls. "That an extraordinarily cultured and liberal society could fall into tyranny is a frightening phenomenon and an uncomfortable notion for all democratic societies. Humans being placed in difficult situations is at the center of my work."

A native of Cleveland, Kunath earned his B.A. in history from the University of Chicago and his M.A. in history from Stanford University. He also earned a joint Ph.D. in history and humanities from Stanford in 1993. Kunath was a visiting professor at St. Olaf College and Cornell College before joining Illinois College in 1994. In 2002, he became chairman of the Department of History and Political Science.

"I never lose sight of the fact that I'm here for the students," he says. "I talk with colleagues at different colleges and they tell me their relationships with students are limited. When class is over they turn off the overhead lights, close their doors and turn on their desk lamps. I'm happy to say I know all of my students' names and they are my priority."

Kunath believes good books and primary source documents are among the best ways to engage students. He says some of the required readings in his advanced course on the Holocaust, including Raul Hilberg's, The Destruction of European Jews, and works by political philosopher Hannah Arendt, can be difficult.

 "But if a student comes to me and says it's too challenging I'll ask, 'If you were an athlete on a team, would you go to the coach and say the weights are too heavy?' It's the same thing. I'm preparing them to think and write at the highest possible level. As they develop these skills you can see the energy to learn becomes very high."

Kunath has published several articles and is working on a collection of essays about the struggle over modern art in imperial Germany. He also is preparing an article on the mid-1960s controversy over Hannah Arendt's book, Eichmann in Jerusalem."

In addition to his scholarly works, Kunath collects classic ghost stories from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He also is a classical music fan who travels to see the Cleveland Orchestra whenever possible.

 

   

 

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