World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Herfried Münkler

ヘルフリート・ミュンクラー

Herfried Münkler

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1951-08-15 （Friedberg, Hesse, West Germany）
Nationality
German
Languages
German

Career

Occupations
political scientist, university professor, author, media commentator
Active Years
1977-
Affiliations
Humboldt University of Berlin (Political Theory)
Memberships
Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS) Advisory Board, Jugend debattiert (Member of the Board of Trustees)

Education

Goethe University Frankfurt
German studies, Political Science, Philosophy
Degree: Erstes Staatsexamen
Year of Graduation: 1977
Country: Germany
Studied multiple subjects; completed first Staatsexamen in 1977
Goethe University Frankfurt
History of political thought (dissertation on Machiavelli)
Degree: PhD
Year of Graduation: 1981
Country: Germany
PhD dissertation titled 'Geschichtsphilosophie und politisches Handeln'

Awards

Leipzig Book Fair Prize
2009
Work: The Germans and their Myths
Category: ノンフィクション
Organization: Leipzig Book Fair
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Machiavelli

1982 intellectual history / political theory

A study of Machiavelli's thought and the foundations of modern political thought. Based on his doctoral work.

political thoughttheory of powerRenaissance

The New Wars

2002 international relations / war studies

Analyzes characteristics of 'new wars' in the 21st century and their theoretical interpretations.

war theorytransformations of violenceirregular warfare
Translations
  • English edition: The New Wars

Empires: The Logic of World Domination from Ancient Rome to the United States

2005 comparative history / international politics

A comparative-historical examination of the structures and logic of empires from antiquity to the modern United States.

empirelogic of dominationcomparative history
Translations
  • English edition: Empires

The Germans and their Myths

2008 cultural studies / modern history

Explores myths and national consciousness in Germany. Winner of the Leipzig Book Fair Prize.

nationalismmythGerman history

Bibliography

  • Konzeptionen der Gerechtigkeit (1999, ed.)
  • Lexikon der Renaissance (2000, with Marina Münkler)
  • Thomas Hobbes (2001)
  • Über den Krieg (2003)
  • Die neuen Kriege (2002)
  • Imperien (2005)
  • Die Deutschen und their Mythen (2008)
  • Der Große Krieg (2013)
  • Der Dreißigjährige Krieg (2017)
  • Marx, Wagner, Nietzsche: Welt im Umbruch (2021)

Adaptations

  • Marx Reloaded (documentary, appearance on Arte, 2011)

Translations of Works

  • Empires (English edition: Empires: The Logic of World Domination)
  • Die neuen Kriege (English edition: The New Wars)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
scholarly and comparative-historicalemphasis on intellectual-historical analysispublic-intellectual tone accessible to general readers
Recurring Motifs
power and violenceempires and structures of dominationstate formation and nationalismtheory of war

Legacy

Münkler is one of Germany's leading political theorists and international politics scholars, known for comparative-historical work on empires, war theory, and state formation. He has influenced both academia and public policy debates through media commentary.

Academic Societies

  • Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities

In Popular Culture

  • Appeared in the documentary 'Marx Reloaded' (Arte)

Quotes

  • Democratization alone cannot save Europe. A greater concentration of power is necessary.
    Source: Der Spiegel (essay, July 2011) (2011)

Trivia

  • Married to literature scholar Marina Münkler in 1983
  • Daughter Laura Münkler is a law professor at the University of Greifswald
  • Active as a public commentator in media