Author: Helen Roche

Presented at the Anna Bidder Research Evening, Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, 17 February 2016.Read more...

Helen's first monograph, Sparta's German Children: The ideal of ancient Sparta in the Royal Prussian Cadet Corps, 1818-1920, and in National Socialist elite schools (the Napolas), 1933-1945, has received a favourable review in the latest issue of the Journal of Hellenic Studies.

The reviewer, Roel Konijnendijk, praises the work's 'fascinating subject' and its 'overall quality', as well as its 'comprehensive' analysis.Read more...

On 22 January 2016, Ali Jones, Clara Maier, Helen Roche, Damian Valdez and Waseem Yaqoob hosted the first of a series of DAAD-funded workshops on 'Herrschaft and Gewalt from the Kaiserreich to the Berlin Republic'.Read more...

Presented at the Modern European History Research Seminar, University of Cambridge, 26 January 2016.Read more...

Helen's article 'Surviving Stunde Null: Narrating the fate of Nazi elite-school pupils during the collapse of the Third Reich', has recently been published in the December 2015 issue of German History.

The article was also awarded the periodical's "Best Article of 2015 Prize".Read more...

Helen and Dr Katharina Karcher were recently interviewed by Victoria Craw of the Australian News Corporation, in conjunction with a film-screening and panel discussion which they hosted at the Cambridge Festival of Ideas on Friday 30 October.Read more...

On 30 October 2015, Helen took part in a film-screening and panel discussion centred around Andres Veiel's award-winning film Der Kick (2006), along with Dr Katharina Karcher, Dr Jeffrey Murer, and Dr Emmanuel Karagiannis. The event formed part of this year's Cambridge Festival of Ideas.Read more...

On 28 October 2015, Helen and Dr Katharina Karcher were interviewed on Chris Mann's 'Drivetime' show on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, in conjunction with a film-screening and panel discussion which they hosted at the Cambridge Festival of Ideas on Friday 30 October.Read more...

Helen's article 'Surviving Stunde Null: Narrating the fate of Nazi elite-school pupils during the collapse of the Third Reich', forthcoming in German History journal, has just been awarded the periodical's "Best Article of 2015 Prize".

The prize, which is awarded by the journal's editorial board, is intended to showcase outstanding work from scholars of German history, whatever their career stage.Read more...

German History 33 (4), 2015, pp. 570-87. Winner of German History journal's "Best Article of 2015" prize.

This paper considers the experiences of one particular, rarely-discussed group of 'war children': former pupils of the Napolas – the most prominent type of Nazi elite-school. Drawing upon a variety of original testimonies, the paper explores the hardships and dilemmas which Napola-pupils faced as World War II drew to a close, and the ways in which former pupils have constructed this aspect of their past.Read more...