Norbert Frei was born in Frankfurt and chairs the Department of Modern and Contemporary History at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, where he also acts as director of the Jena Center – History of the 20th Century. In addition to teaching, he is also a member of numerous academic boards and commissions. From 1996 to 2003 he was a member and temporary chairperson of the advisory board of the Fritz Bauer Institute in Frankfurt and is currently a member of the commission of the German History Contest for Pupils for the Federal President Prize. Since 1999 he has acted as chairperson of the board of trustees of the Foundation of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials and is a member of the advisory committee of the Institute for German History at the University of Tel Aviv.

Photo: © Thomas Hauzenberger