Prizes
The Central European History Society sponsors a book and article prize to recognize outstanding research in Central European history published by North American scholars. The book prize, awarded each year, is named in honor of the pioneering social historian Hans Rosenberg. (Jump to the call for nominations.)
The article prize, awarded every other year, is named in honor of the historian and first female president of CEHS, Annelise Thimme. For the article prize, essays published in the previous two years are eligible. (Jump to the call for nominations.)
Calls for nominations
Hans Rosenberg Book Prize
The Central European History is now soliciting nominations for the 2025 Hans Rosenberg Book Prize, which honors the best monograph in Central European history published in English by a North American scholar in 2024 (= imprint year). “Central European history” is understood to include all German-speaking countries as well as areas previously included within the Habsburg monarchy. Translations, edited collections, anthologies, memoirs, and books that have previously been published are ineligible for consideration for the Hans Rosenberg Prize. Note, however, that works with a focus on the period after 1945 in Eastern Europe will need to engage with “German” and/or “Austrian” questions in order to be considered “Central European” (rather than Eastern European).
Nominations may be made by an author or by a publisher. Publishers may submit as many entries as they wish. To nominate a book, please send an email with full publication information to: RosenbergPrize@centraleuropeanhistory.org.
Upon receipt of this email, the nominator will be sent contact information for the three members of the prize committee. One copy of each entry must be sent to each committee member and clearly labeled “Rosenberg Prize Entry.” Print copies are preferred; e-books will only be accepted with the approval of the prize committee members.
Members of the 2025 prize committee:
Lisa Zwicker, chair (Indiana University South Bend)
Yair Mintzker (Princeton University)
Janek Wasserman (University of Alabama)
Please note: All entries must be postmarked by June 2, 2025. Entries will neither be acknowledged nor returned. The winner of the 2025 prize will be announced in December 2025 and formally recognized at the CEHS’s business meeting, which will be held in conjunction with the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Historical Association in Chicago.
Questions about the prize may be directed to RosenbergPrize@centraleuropeanhistory.org.
Annelise Thimme Article Prize
The Central European History Society (CEHS) is now soliciting nominations for the biennial Annelise Thimme Article Prize. This prize recognizes the best English-language article or essay on Central European history written by a North American scholar. This year’s competition is open to articles published in 2023 or 2024. Nominations may be made by authors, editors, presses, or third parties.
The prize committee will consider journal articles as well as individual essays from anthologies or collections (with an imprint date of 2023 or 2024). Articles and essays published outside North America are eligible, but reprinted essays, including translations, are not. “Central European history” is understood to include all German-speaking countries as well as areas previously included within the Habsburg monarchy. Note, however, that articles with a focus on the period after 1945 in Eastern Europe will need to engage with “German” and/or “Austrian” questions in order to be considered “Central European” (rather than Eastern European).
To nominate an article or essay, please send an email to: ThimmePrize@centraleuropeanhistory.org that a) provides the full publication information for the article/essay in question and b) includes the published version of the article/essay as a PDF attachment. All nominations and submissions must be received by June 15, 2025.
Members of 2025 prize committee:
Beth Plummer, Chair (University of Arizona)
Ke-chin Hsia (Indiana University)
Lauren Stokes (Northwestern University)
All questions concerning the prize should be sent to ThimmePrize@centraleuropeanhistory.org. The winning article will be announced in December 2025 and formally recognized during the Society’s annual business meeting, which will be held in conjunction with the AHA’s 2026 meeting in Chicago.