PhD position: History of Interwar Czechoslovakia (case study Bohemian Lands)

The Department of History at the University of Basel, Switzerland, invites applications for a invite applications for a fully funded, four-year (1 plus 3) PhD position in a history project led by Dr. Fabian Baumann (principal investigator, PI), to be filled as of 1st August 2026 or by agreement.
 
The project The Threatened Republic: Treason, Disloyalty, and the Defense of Democracy in Interwar Czechoslovakia, funded by a Starting Grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation, explores the legal and political strategies that the First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938) used to defend the state's integrity and “democratic-republican” system. Team members will research several case studies of anti-state movements and of state institutions charged with the defense of the system.
 
Among the new states established in East Central Europe after World War I, the First Czechoslovak Republic was both the most democratic and the most precarious. Numerous domestic and external enemies contested the state's borders and its democratic constitution. As Czechoslovakia's government institutions tried to safeguard their republic against extremist movements, they occasionally employed highly repressive instruments, giving rise to the accusation that the state itself was undermining democracy.
 
As such, the First Czechoslovak Republic exemplifies the dilemmas inherent in what political scientists, following Karl Loewenstein, have called militant democracy. The project will examine the legal and political strategies used to safeguard the young democracy, with a particular focus on political trials. By examining how the state sought to protect itself while negotiating the fine line between legitimate dissent and disloyalty, the project will contribute the broader history of democracy and its discontents in a time and place characterized by extreme nationalism, authoritarian politics, and territorial revisionism.

Your position

As a doctoral researcher, you will contribute to the overall project through an autonomous case study on the history of treason, disloyalty, and the defense of democracy in the Bohemian lands (Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia). Project proposals on the history of the Sudeten German population are particularly welcome. Possible areas of research could include micro-studies of particular trials or political groups, studies of particular regions within the Bohemian lands, the history of espionage, the international and diplomatic dimensions of Sudeten German (dis)loyalty to Czechoslovakia, the relations between Sudeten German parties and other state-critical movements within Czechoslovakia.

You will be expected to
  • conduct independent archival research and complete your PhD dissertation within the funding period;
  • publish one peer-reviewed article or book chapter and present your findings at an international conference;
  • actively participate in advancing the project's overall research goals, participate in team meetings and the first-year reading class, and collaborate closely with your team mates;
  • participate in the activities of the Basel Graduate School of History.

You will be encouraged to
  • communicate the results of your research to a broader audience (through blogs, podcasts, social media etc);
  • help with administrative tasks, conference organization, communication tasks.

Your profile

  • You must hold an MA degree (or equivalent) in History or a related discipline.
  • You must be fluent in English, our team's working language, and have good working knowledge of at least one, preferably two relevant source languages (Czech, German, possibly Polish). Additional relevant language proficiency is very welcome.
  • You should be eager to participate in team work culture and contribute to the overall project goals.
  • Finally, you are flexible to travel for the project, and you are able to be present in Basel in term time during the contract period.

We offer you

  • A fully funded PhD position (1+3 years) at the History Department at the University of Basel, Switzerland;
  • A motivated  team that will support your ideas, research, and career in a stimulating, welcoming and multicultural environment;
  • A thorough introduction process and ongoing support by peers;
  • Salary and social benefits are provided according to Swiss standards and University of Basel rules.
  • Generous travel funding for all team members is included in the project grant.

Application / Contact
 
Please submit your complete application documents including a letter of motivation with a short sketch of your planned research project, CV, relevant diplomas, sample of writing (max. 10 pages), and the contact details of two referees.
  • The application deadline is 5 February 2026.
  • All applications must be submitted through the University of Basel employment portal.
  • The expected starting date is 1st August 2026.
 
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Fabian Baumann (fabian.baumann@unibas.ch). You can also find out more about us at https://dg.philhist.unibas.ch/de/.
Apply

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