Institute of Contemporary History (IfZ), Munich and Berlin

The Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History (IfZ) is looking to appoint an

editor (f/m/d)

for the series The Persecution and Murder of the European Jews by Nazi Germany, 1933–1945 (PMJ) as soon as possible.

This full-time post will be remunerated according to the framework of the 13 TV-L pay grade for public employees in Germany. It is based in the Berlin-Lichterfelde office of the Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History and presence in the office is required. The post will be available until 30 April 2028.

The project tasked with preparing the document series The Persecution and Murder of the European Jews by Nazi Germany, 1933–1945 (PMJ) is led by the Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History and the Contemporary History Research Group at Freiburg University. PMJ is the English version of the German-language document collection Die Verfolgung und Ermordung der europäischen Juden durch das nationalsozialistische Deutschland 1933–1945 (VEJ). The PMJ series is produced in collaboration with the German Federal Archives and the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Centre in Jerusalem and is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The sixteen volumes in the series cover the period between 1933 and 1945 and span the whole area of Europe under Nazi occupation during World War II. Altogether, the series contains more than 5,000 documents which include texts by perpetrators, victims, and witnesses who were not directly involved in the crimes. For the English-language edition, all the documents apart from a few originally in English are newly translated from their source languages. Nine volumes in the series have already been published, and another three are currently in preparation. For more information, please go to https://pmj-documents.org.

Tasks:

• Contributing to the production and publication of the English version of the original series
• Managing the translation of the documents and other materials by our freelance contributors
• Translation editing (checking translations into English against the originals for accuracy and style as well as coherence with translations in previously published volumes based on our established guidelines)
• Recruiting freelance translators and editors
• Producing ancillary materials such as glossaries and bibliographies for the volumes
• Producing content for the series website

Required qualifications and experience:

• PhD, ideally in history, already awarded, on a relevant topic (National Socialism/the Second World War and Nazi occupation/the Holocaust/Holocaust remembrance/Jewish history in Europe)
• High proficiency and excellent writing and comprehension skills in both English and German (level C 2 as defined by Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team interacting with colleagues and with the series’ editorial board
• Experience in working with historical documents and in translation and editing work with publishing houses in the humanities
• Preferred knowledge of Russian, Hungarian, Romanian, or other Eastern European or southeastern European languages
• Preferred experience working with database systems and specifically the OxygenXML software

The post offers

• Interesting and varied tasks in a highly challenging and specialized field
• Inspiring and lively workplace atmosphere
• Flexible hours
• Attractive financial bonuses such as the German public-sector institutional pension scheme (VBL) or a capital-building payment scheme
• Opportunities to participate in further training or qualification programmes
• Wide range of opportunities for networking both within and outside the IfZ
• Very good working conditions and a pleasant atmosphere

The Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History is an equal opportunities employer. We explicitly encourage applications from women and place great emphasis on family-friendly workplace policies. Under the condition that productivity requirements are met, the post could also be filled as a part-time position. Qualified candidates with severe disabilities are entitled to preferential hiring.

Your application should be submitted as a single PDF (max. 10 MB) and include a cover letter, a detailed CV, qualifications, employers’ references, as well as other relevant documents. It should be addressed to the Director of the Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History, Prof. Andreas Wirsching, Leonrodstr. 46b, 80636 Munich, Germany. Please email it by 21 August 2025 with the reference number B2025-02 to bewerbung(at)ifz-muenchen.de. The application should also include at least two letters of recommendation (in German or English) or the names, addresses, and email contact details of two referees. The interviews will be held at the Institute’s office in Berlin-Lichterfelde.

We look forward to receiving your application. Any enquiries can be addressed to the project lead, Dr. Russell Alt-Haaker (alt-haaker(at)ifz-muenchen.de).