Leonard Schmieding

Bio

I studied English, American Studies, History, and History Education at universities in Germany (Freiburg im Breisgau, Leipzig) and the U.S. (Indiana). In 2011, I received my PhD from the University of Leipzig with a dissertation on hip-hop culture in communist East Germany. Since then, I have been a researcher, educator, and public historian in the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington, DC, Münster, and Berlin. While I continue to be interested in youth cultures, migration, and public memory, I am now focusing on building networks between museums, memorials, archives, schools, and universities to use the power of history for active citizenship in our societies in Germany and the U.S. I bring together scholars, curators, and educators in partnerships and professional development, and I work with students, both in secondary schools and at university, to use museum resources for deep historical learning.