Jay Geller
@jaygeller.bsky.social
Professor of History, scholar of the German-Jewish experience, biographer of Gershom Scholem and family, and devotee of modernist architecture and design.
Your Polish-American family's story of immigration is full of exaggerations & falsehoods? And now that you have expertise on the subject, you're wondering if you should tell your relatives?
Every American Jewish historian of mod. J. history has just entered the chat.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/m...
Every American Jewish historian of mod. J. history has just entered the chat.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/m...
Should I Let My Family Know That Our Cherished ‘Origin Story’ Is Bogus?
www.nytimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 10:53 PM
Your Polish-American family's story of immigration is full of exaggerations & falsehoods? And now that you have expertise on the subject, you're wondering if you should tell your relatives?
Every American Jewish historian of mod. J. history has just entered the chat.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/m...
Every American Jewish historian of mod. J. history has just entered the chat.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/m...
The New York Times published photos of Empress Eugenie’s squashed crown. I can’t help but think that it’s a metaphor for the French Second Empire itself.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/w...
The Louvre Thieves Dropped This Priceless Crown. Now It Looks Like This.
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2026 at 6:44 PM
The New York Times published photos of Empress Eugenie’s squashed crown. I can’t help but think that it’s a metaphor for the French Second Empire itself.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/w...
Wait, the supreme leader of a communist state is paranoid, purges his top generals, and has a strained working relationship with the country that is regarded as his chief rival for hegemony? I feel like I've seen this movie before.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/u...
Ruptures in China’s Leadership Could Be Due to Paranoia and Power Plays
www.nytimes.com
February 3, 2026 at 10:55 PM
Wait, the supreme leader of a communist state is paranoid, purges his top generals, and has a strained working relationship with the country that is regarded as his chief rival for hegemony? I feel like I've seen this movie before.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/u...
Reposted by Jay Geller
📢Call for application: IGdJ Fellowships 2027! Intended to support innovative academic projects in the field of jewish studies and to deepen both national and international exchange. 👉 information kurzlinks.de/25j6 application deadline is 16 March 2026 #jewishhistory #jewishstudies #hamburg
January 30, 2026 at 1:40 PM
📢Call for application: IGdJ Fellowships 2027! Intended to support innovative academic projects in the field of jewish studies and to deepen both national and international exchange. 👉 information kurzlinks.de/25j6 application deadline is 16 March 2026 #jewishhistory #jewishstudies #hamburg
Liebe deutsche Autoren, im Namen der Wissenschaft bitte ich Sie: Führen Sie in Ihren Büchern nicht nur Personenregister, sondern auch Sachregister.
January 29, 2026 at 12:37 AM
Liebe deutsche Autoren, im Namen der Wissenschaft bitte ich Sie: Führen Sie in Ihren Büchern nicht nur Personenregister, sondern auch Sachregister.
Vanessa Friedman, the fashion editor at the @nytimes.com, interviewed the renowned historian of Germany Harold James about Border Patrol’s Wehrmacht cosplay fashion sensibility.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/s...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/s...
When a Coat Becomes a Symbol of Conflict
www.nytimes.com
January 23, 2026 at 1:18 AM
Vanessa Friedman, the fashion editor at the @nytimes.com, interviewed the renowned historian of Germany Harold James about Border Patrol’s Wehrmacht cosplay fashion sensibility.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/s...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/s...
In my world history survey course, I gave a lecture today on mercantilism in the 17th and 18th centuries. You know: tariffs rather than free trade, colonial conquests for the purpose of acquiring raw materials, alliances of convenience.
Wow, it all feels so familiar.
Wow, it all feels so familiar.
January 21, 2026 at 9:47 PM
In my world history survey course, I gave a lecture today on mercantilism in the 17th and 18th centuries. You know: tariffs rather than free trade, colonial conquests for the purpose of acquiring raw materials, alliances of convenience.
Wow, it all feels so familiar.
Wow, it all feels so familiar.
I still can’t believe Ulbricht built the Berlin Wall weeks after saying, “Niemand hat die Absicht, eine Mauer zu errichten,” and Hitler took the rest of Bohemia after saying of the Sudetenland “Es ist die letzte territoriale Forderung, die ich in Europa zu stellen habe.”
Can you believe the nerve?!
Can you believe the nerve?!
it's bizarre to see both CNN and CNBC run with chyrons reporting that Trump said he won't "use force" to take Greenland, when the comments in question were clearly a threat to take Greenland by force. How naive are we at this point?
January 21, 2026 at 7:36 PM
I still can’t believe Ulbricht built the Berlin Wall weeks after saying, “Niemand hat die Absicht, eine Mauer zu errichten,” and Hitler took the rest of Bohemia after saying of the Sudetenland “Es ist die letzte territoriale Forderung, die ich in Europa zu stellen habe.”
Can you believe the nerve?!
Can you believe the nerve?!
Reposted by Jay Geller
Kommt bitte jemand in den nächsten Wochen aus Deutschland nach London und könnte mir was (keine Flüssigkeit) mitbringen? 1kg Packet.
Belohnung: ORANGENMARMELADE!
Belohnung: ORANGENMARMELADE!
January 21, 2026 at 7:03 PM
Kommt bitte jemand in den nächsten Wochen aus Deutschland nach London und könnte mir was (keine Flüssigkeit) mitbringen? 1kg Packet.
Belohnung: ORANGENMARMELADE!
Belohnung: ORANGENMARMELADE!
I read this document with ease. Another museum-goer, a Millennial, struggled to read it, but got most of it. My Gen Z progeny can only make out a few words. 🙁
#cursive #handwriting #paleography
#cursive #handwriting #paleography
January 18, 2026 at 6:19 PM
I read this document with ease. Another museum-goer, a Millennial, struggled to read it, but got most of it. My Gen Z progeny can only make out a few words. 🙁
#cursive #handwriting #paleography
#cursive #handwriting #paleography
The real birthday of the United States is July 2, 1776. The Smithsonian Institution should know better.
(And the second explanation does finesse the difference by writing “adopted the Declaration of Independence” rather than writing “voted for independence” or “declared independence”).
(And the second explanation does finesse the difference by writing “adopted the Declaration of Independence” rather than writing “voted for independence” or “declared independence”).
January 18, 2026 at 5:47 PM
The real birthday of the United States is July 2, 1776. The Smithsonian Institution should know better.
(And the second explanation does finesse the difference by writing “adopted the Declaration of Independence” rather than writing “voted for independence” or “declared independence”).
(And the second explanation does finesse the difference by writing “adopted the Declaration of Independence” rather than writing “voted for independence” or “declared independence”).
The New York Times Spelling Bee must be trolling Trump today:
Dictating
Indicting
Inciting
Caging
etc.
www.nytimes.com/puzzles/spel...
Dictating
Indicting
Inciting
Caging
etc.
www.nytimes.com/puzzles/spel...
Play Spelling Bee
How many words can you make with 7 letters?
www.nytimes.com
January 18, 2026 at 3:05 PM
The New York Times Spelling Bee must be trolling Trump today:
Dictating
Indicting
Inciting
Caging
etc.
www.nytimes.com/puzzles/spel...
Dictating
Indicting
Inciting
Caging
etc.
www.nytimes.com/puzzles/spel...
Reposted by Jay Geller
A joke for the history buffs:
Germany’s satirical newspaper @der-postillon.com titles: “Vienna Academy of the Arts offers Trump admission as a student — They don’t want to get blamed again“
Germany’s satirical newspaper @der-postillon.com titles: “Vienna Academy of the Arts offers Trump admission as a student — They don’t want to get blamed again“
January 18, 2026 at 1:56 PM
A joke for the history buffs:
Germany’s satirical newspaper @der-postillon.com titles: “Vienna Academy of the Arts offers Trump admission as a student — They don’t want to get blamed again“
Germany’s satirical newspaper @der-postillon.com titles: “Vienna Academy of the Arts offers Trump admission as a student — They don’t want to get blamed again“
I just learned that Arthur Scholem jr., the last of the prewar Germany-born Scholems, died only a few months ago at the age of 97. (His sister also lived into her late 90s.)
I had never seen a photo of him. He looked remarkably similar to his famous uncle, Gershom Scholem.
I had never seen a photo of him. He looked remarkably similar to his famous uncle, Gershom Scholem.
January 11, 2026 at 10:02 PM
I just learned that Arthur Scholem jr., the last of the prewar Germany-born Scholems, died only a few months ago at the age of 97. (His sister also lived into her late 90s.)
I had never seen a photo of him. He looked remarkably similar to his famous uncle, Gershom Scholem.
I had never seen a photo of him. He looked remarkably similar to his famous uncle, Gershom Scholem.
Teen D just visited Dublin and liked the city’s walkability and trams; lively city center, even in the evening; buildings with a human scale; and well-preserved, still-used Victorian-era buildings.
She asked, “Why don’t we have this in America?”
She asked, “Why don’t we have this in America?”
January 8, 2026 at 3:33 PM
Teen D just visited Dublin and liked the city’s walkability and trams; lively city center, even in the evening; buildings with a human scale; and well-preserved, still-used Victorian-era buildings.
She asked, “Why don’t we have this in America?”
She asked, “Why don’t we have this in America?”
Stephen Miller is going full Bismarck.
(And it’s just an unfortunate coincidence that the likely immediate victim is, once again, Denmark.)
(And it’s just an unfortunate coincidence that the likely immediate victim is, once again, Denmark.)
January 6, 2026 at 10:58 PM
Stephen Miller is going full Bismarck.
(And it’s just an unfortunate coincidence that the likely immediate victim is, once again, Denmark.)
(And it’s just an unfortunate coincidence that the likely immediate victim is, once again, Denmark.)
Reposted by Jay Geller
1/Heute ist der 150. Geburtstag von Konrad Adenauer. Er gehört zu den Großen der deutschen Geschichte im 20. Jahrhundert. Ob diese Zitate wirklich von ihm stammen, weiß ich nicht, aber
January 5, 2026 at 6:56 AM
1/Heute ist der 150. Geburtstag von Konrad Adenauer. Er gehört zu den Großen der deutschen Geschichte im 20. Jahrhundert. Ob diese Zitate wirklich von ihm stammen, weiß ich nicht, aber
I’m reading The Radetzsky March by Joseph Roth for the 4th time—but for the first time in 10 years.
I had forgotten how complex & multilayered the story is. But Joachim Neugroschel’s translation is a problem. It’s not just clunky. It’s also full of outright mistakes as if it weren’t double-checked.
I had forgotten how complex & multilayered the story is. But Joachim Neugroschel’s translation is a problem. It’s not just clunky. It’s also full of outright mistakes as if it weren’t double-checked.
January 1, 2026 at 7:40 PM
I’m reading The Radetzsky March by Joseph Roth for the 4th time—but for the first time in 10 years.
I had forgotten how complex & multilayered the story is. But Joachim Neugroschel’s translation is a problem. It’s not just clunky. It’s also full of outright mistakes as if it weren’t double-checked.
I had forgotten how complex & multilayered the story is. But Joachim Neugroschel’s translation is a problem. It’s not just clunky. It’s also full of outright mistakes as if it weren’t double-checked.
In the German Federal Archive in Koblenz, I found a letter from Yale professor Hans Gatzke, who held the chair in German history at Yale before my own graduate advisor, to German Federal President Theodor Heuss, complaining about the quality of American graduate students (presumably in 🇩🇪 history).
I think we need a mega thread of everyone's craziest archive stories.
December 22, 2025 at 7:21 PM
In the German Federal Archive in Koblenz, I found a letter from Yale professor Hans Gatzke, who held the chair in German history at Yale before my own graduate advisor, to German Federal President Theodor Heuss, complaining about the quality of American graduate students (presumably in 🇩🇪 history).
I just learned that an
acquaintance has been in ICE custody since last Thurs. She will not even see a judge until 2026.
I don’t post this to yield Likes. But as this continues, ever more of us will know people being detained. Who will be able to look away or say this doesn’t affect their circle?
acquaintance has been in ICE custody since last Thurs. She will not even see a judge until 2026.
I don’t post this to yield Likes. But as this continues, ever more of us will know people being detained. Who will be able to look away or say this doesn’t affect their circle?
December 22, 2025 at 2:38 PM
I just learned that an
acquaintance has been in ICE custody since last Thurs. She will not even see a judge until 2026.
I don’t post this to yield Likes. But as this continues, ever more of us will know people being detained. Who will be able to look away or say this doesn’t affect their circle?
acquaintance has been in ICE custody since last Thurs. She will not even see a judge until 2026.
I don’t post this to yield Likes. But as this continues, ever more of us will know people being detained. Who will be able to look away or say this doesn’t affect their circle?
Saying this vote was unanimous is like saying, "Not a single member of the KPD voted against the Enabling Act!"
Source: www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...
Source: www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...
December 18, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Saying this vote was unanimous is like saying, "Not a single member of the KPD voted against the Enabling Act!"
Source: www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...
Source: www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...
I love it when journalists and other non-academics casually cite Robert Darnton.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/o...
December 15, 2025 at 4:12 PM
I love it when journalists and other non-academics casually cite Robert Darnton.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/o...
