I'm an art historian. My recently completed dissertation deals with painting and politics in East and West Germany in the 1950s. Here I generally write about current German culture and politics (which does tend to have a lot to do with history anyway), and I indulge in the occasional nostalgic reference to Berlin. Or Wilhelmshaven. Or, now that I've moved to Seattle, Austin.

Why the blog is called "hem|mungen:"

The word "Hemmungen" (German for "inhibitions") incorporates my childhood nickname, hem. I've split it in two to emphasize the wordplay—clever, right? More interesting to me than to others, no doubt; often it's true that my inhibitions that reveal themselves in the posts. I suppose it's one way to overcome them.

How to reach me:

Write to hem (or any other name) at hemmungen dot com.


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