Heidelburg Scholar to Present New Findings on German Denazification in Davis Amphitheater
Annika Kaiser, a leading researcher in international and development policies, will present a lecture titled “What Data Reveals about Post War German Denazification” on March 26th, 2026. The event will be held at 11 a.m. in the Davis Hall Amphitheater, room 224.
The lecture explores the monumental effort by Allied forces to rebuild a democratic society following the collapse of Nazi Germany in 1945. To manage the unprecedented transition, millions of Germans were required to complete detailed denazification questionnaires. These documents now serve as an extraordinary historical record, illustrating the extent to which the Nazi regime penetrated day to day social and economic life.
Kaiser, currently the Sosland Foundation Fellow at the U.S Holocaust Memorial Museum, utilizes computational tools to analyze these historical sources. Her research uncovers previously invisible patterns that offer new perspectives on the complex relationship between power, economic incentives, and justice.
Currently a PhD candidate at Heidelberg University’s Alfred-Weber-Institute for Economics, Kaiser is also a fellow at the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies. Her multidisciplinary work bridges the gap between history, economics, and data science.
Kaiser has previously presented her research at the World Congress of Political Science, the International Conference on Public Policy, and the Barcelona School of Economics. Prior to her doctoral studies, she conducted data analysis for the World Bank, the Technical University of Munich, and Oxford University.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
About Annika Kaiser:
Annika Kaiser is a PhD candidate at Heidelberg University whose research focuses on how political systems shape careers and economic inequality. Her work leverages modern data methods to address fundamental social questions regarding institutional change and historical justice.
Contact: Hannah Thompson | 405-574-1362