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Fabian Klose
I am an historian from the University of Munich
currently researching for my Ph.D. project “Decolonization
and Human Rights” with a special focus on the wars of independence
in Algeria, Kenya, and Cyprus. I started my work last year at the
UN Archives in the Palais des Nations in Geneva. I was fortunate
to be the first researcher to have access to the files of the UN
Human Rights Commission and the International Committee of the Red
Cross relating to human rights violations during the process of
decolonization. After Geneva, I came to DC to expand on this research
with U.S. State Department files stored in the National Archives.
It has been exciting to discover new details of this period of recent
history that signalled the end of colonial domination by European
powers. At the same time it has been saddening to see the brutality
exercised by colonial powers as they tried to maintain their dominance
over their territories even against the will of the native populations.
My research keeps me captivated, and remains surprisingly relevant,
especially in today’s globalizing world.
Beyond my long days in the Archives, my time in
DC has been truly memorable because of the many great experiences
I had at ISH. For example, through one of the house trips, I explored
local historical sites like the town of Fredericksburg and the surrounding
Civil War battlefields. I also encountered new cultural activities
and holidays, such as Valentine’s Day. At the annual Valentine’s
Party at the house, I not only learned about this American holiday,
but discovered many new international approaches to this romantic
event.
However, nothing was more enjoyable than the many
hours of conversation I had with people from all over the world
and from different cultural backgrounds. We discussed just about
every topic there is, from serious debates about politics to jokes
about transatlantic differences and bets about who would win the
next European Football Championship (the Germans, of course). In
my eyes the personal experiences and the sharing of ideas with many
peoples from other cultures not only make the House a great place,
but are essential for better understanding in our world.
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