Hans Rosenberg Book Prize

CEHS’s book prize, awarded annually since 2008, recognizes the best monograph in Central European History published by a North American scholar. It is named in honor of Hans Rosenberg, a German refugee historian who, after 1945, taught at the Free University of Berlin (1949-1950), Marburg (1955), and the University of California at Berkeley (1959-1972). He is considered to be one of the leading proponents of “modern” social history (Gesellschaftsgeschichte) in postwar Germany.

To view a list of winners of the Hans Rosenberg Book Prize click here.

Nominating books for the Hans Rosenberg Book Prize

Now accepting submissions for the 2026 prize; deadline: June 1, 2026.

The phrase “Central European” is understood to include all German-speaking countries as well as territories previously included within the German or Habsburg empires. Books that focus on the period after 1945 in Eastern Europe will need to engage with “German” and/or “Austrian” questions to be considered as “Central European” (rather than “Eastern European”). The current prize amount is $1,000.

The general rules for submission are:

Only books of a high scholarly quality should be nominated. Research accuracy, originality and literary merit are important factors in the review of the nominated monographs.
Only books bearing a copyright of 2025 are eligible for the 2026 prize.
Translations, edited collections, anthologies, memoirs and books that have been previously published will not be considered.
Nomination submissions may be made by an author or a publisher. Publishers may submit as many entries as they wish.

To nominate a book, please send an email with the full publication information for each title to: RosenbergPrize@centraleuropeanhistory.org.

Upon receipt of this email, the nominator will be sent the prize committee’s contact information.

One copy of each entry must be sent to each committee member and clearly labeled “Rosenberg Prize Entry.” Print copies are preferred; if only an e-copy is available, the submission will need to be arranged in advance with the committee members.

Please note: All entries must be postmarked by June 1, 2026 to be eligible for the 2026 competition. Entries will not be returned. The prize winner will be announced on the CEHS website in early December 2026 and recognized during the Society’s business meeting at the January 2027 AHA annual meeting in New Orleans.

Questions about the prize and eligibility may be directed to RosenbergPrize@centraleuropeanhistory.org.

Members of the 2026 Hans Rosenberg Book Prize Committee:

Chad Bryant (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), chair
James Brophy (University of Delaware)
Beth Plummer (Arizona State University)