Jean Paul Lehners


Jean Paul Lehners is a Luxembourgish Historian specialized in the field of global and demographic history. He is also involved in the study of human rights. Jean-Paul Lehners is Professor of Global History and Holder of the at the University of Luxembourg.

Academic life

After completing the “Cours Supérieurs” in Luxembourg in 1967, Jean-Paul Lehners studied in Strasbourg as well as Vienna between 1968 and 1973. In 1973, Lehners obtained a Doctorate’s degree from the University of Vienna. From 1973 to 1975, Lehners worked as the assistant of Michael Mitterauer at the Institut für Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte der Universität Wien. Between 1976 and 1994, Lehners was lecturing at the University of Trier on themes such as quantitative methods in history, historical demography, history of family structures, analysis of school manuals, fear & security in 16th-20th century, history of European expansions by texts and controversy on numbers in history between 1976 and 1994.

In 1975, Jean Paul Lehners completed his internship and became course responsible at Lycée Michel Rodange, where he worked until 1980. Afterwards, he moved to :lb:Lycée technique Michel-Lucius|Lycée technique Michel Lucius and taught here as a teacher until 1987, then moved back to his former institution, Lycée Michel-Rodange, and where taught until 1995.
Between 1984 and 1987, Lehners became the teaching responsible at the Centre Universitaire; then became the course responsible until 1990. Jean Paul Lehners obtained the title of professor in 1990 and taught at the Centre Universitaire and, from 2003 onwards, at the University of Luxembourg. He is currently still teaching at this institution.
Lehners became the vice-rector of the University of Luxembourg between 2003-2007. Since 2011, Jean-Paul Lehners is active as the first Holder of the UNESCO Chair in Human Rights at the University of Luxembourg.

Social Work

When Lehners was a student, he was taking part in :lb:ALUC|ALUC as his orientation was towards the catholic left wing. However, after a period of time, he quit this association for good as he thought it was just a political ensemble. According to Lehners, it was the first step of joining into the Christian Social Party. While he was studying in Vienna, he took part in a reflection group where he learnt about non-violent action and how to solve conflicts without causing harm from an Indian Jesuite.
The social aspect of society has always been highly important for Lehners, that is to say, taking action for the poor and prioritizing the poor. As a result, he joined to the Jugendpoor; an organization of young people who would meet every Thursday to celebrate the mass along with the poor. Consequently, the periodical :lb:Forum |“Forum” was born along with other organizations like :lb:ASTI|ASTI, :lb:Action solidarité tiers monde|ASTM, etc. due to the activities of Jugendpoor which was backed by the Second Vatican Council.
Jean Paul Lehners holds the presidential title for , and is the honorary president of .
Some other organizations Jean Paul Lehners took part in are listed below:
• Member of the National Commission, Luxembourg, 2001-to date
• Member of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, , 2011-to date
• Member of the Arbeitsgruppe “Menschenwürde und Menschenrechte” of the , 2010-to date

Awards

• Robert Krieps Award 1992 for the workgroup on “Histoire de l'industrialisation en Sarre-Lor-Lux”.
• Lion Award 2001 for the activities in the field of human dignity.

Publications

Jean Paul Lehners is co-author of many books and author or co-author of a certain number of articles.

Books

• « Kolonialismus, Imperialismus, Dritte Welt »,, Salzburg, 347 et 258 pages
• « Sozialismus - das Ende einer Utopie? », Cahiers I.S.I.S. fascicule 1,, 191 pages
• « Passé et Avenir des Bassins Industriels en Europe », Cahiers d’Histoire 1,, 430 pages
• « Information Technologies for History Education », Cahiers d’Histoire 2,
• « L’ONU, un instrument de paix au service de qui? », Cahiers I.S.I.S., fascicule VI, Publications du Centre Universitaire
• « Héritages culturels dans la Grande Région Sarre-Lor-Lux-Rhénanie-Palatinat », Cahiers I.S.I.S., Fascicule IV, Publications du Centre Universitaire
• « Régions, Nations, Mondialisation », Cahiers I.S.I.S., Fascicule V, Publications du Centre Universitaire
• « Passé et avenir des bassins industriels en Europe. Aspects sociaux et environnementaux », Cahiers d’Histoire 3,
• « Ethnic Conflicts and Civil Society. Proposals for a New Era in Eastern Europe », Ashgate, Aldershot/ Brookfiels USA/ Singapore/ Sidney
• « L’Autriche, les Pays-Bas méridionaux et le duché de Luxembourg au 18e siècle », Cahiers d’Histoire 4,
• « Les espaces méditerranéens », Cahiers I.S.I.S. 7,
• « L’islam et l’espace euro-méditerranéen », Cahiers I.S.I.S. 8,
• « Endettement, marginalité, pauvreté: Quels financements et refinancements du Tiers Monde ? » Cahiers I.S.I.S. 11
• « New challenges in Human Rights », Cambridge University Press
• « Rythmen der Globalisierung », Wien, Mandelbaum Verlag 2010

Articles

• 1973 Die Pfarre Stockerau im 17. und 18. Jahrhundert. Erste Resultate einer demographischen Studie. In: H. Helczmanovski : Beiträge zur Bevölkerungs- und Sozialgeschichte Öster¬reichs. München/Wien, p. 373-401
• 1973 Ein Beitrag zur Theorie der Unterentwicklung. A.G. Franks Thesen dargestellt am Beispiel Brasilien. In: Beiträge zur Historischen Sozialkunde, Wien, p. 68-71
• 1974 Haus und Familie im Markt Stockerau am Ende des 17. Jahrhunderts. In: Unsere Heimat. Zeitschrift des Vereins für Landeskunde von Niederösterreich und Wien 45, p. 222-235
• 1974 Familie und Sozialisation. In: Beiträge zur Historischen Sozialkunde, Wien, p. 42-44
• 1977 Neoimperialismus und Dritte Welt. Zur Theorie von Abhängigkeit und „Unterentwicklung“ seit 1945 In: Alfred Bergmiller, Peter Feldbauer : Kolonialismus, Imperialismus, Dritte Welt 1. Salzburg 1977, p. 175-212
• 1978 EDV-Einsatz im Projekt: Strukturwandel der Familie in Österreich seit dem 17. Jahrhundert. In: Franz Irsigler : Quantitative Methoden in der Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte der Vorneuzeit. Stuttgart, p. 146-158
• 1987 La démographie historique: Une possibilité d'initiation au métier d'historien? A propos d'une expérience. In: A.L.G.H.: Annuaire 1987. Luxembourg, p. 61-66
• 1990 Les migrations à longue distance. Belgique et Grand-Duché de Luxembourg. In: Commissi¬on Internationale de Démographie historique : Long distance migrations. Madrid, p. 45-60
• 1992 Lëtzebuerg an d'Lëtzebuerger am Zwete Weltkrich. E puer Iwwerleungen als Aféierung In: Roger Gallion: Stroossen. Seng Krichsaffer 1940-1945, p. 12-19
• 1993 A propos de la démographie historique au Luxembourg: sources, méthodes, problèmes In: Annuaire de l’Association luxembourgeoise de généalogie et d’héraldique, Luxembourg, p. 254-288
• 1994 The history of banks in Luxembourg, Histoire des banques au Luxembourg In: Manfred Pohl : Handbook on the History of European Banks, p. 675-687
• 2000 Quelle école pour quelle société? In: Le Jeudi, Dossier Le Luxembourg au XXIe siècle, December
• 2001 Stroossen gëschter an haut In: 150 Joer Gemeng Stroossen 1850-200, p. 11-20
• 2006 Introduction to special issue: The varieties of family history. Dedicated to the memory of Tamara K. Hareven, In: The History of the Family, Volume 11, Number 3, 2006, p. 123-124
• 2009 Luxembourg : Content without reference? In: Vinodh Jaichand, Markku Suksi : 60 Years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Europe. Antwerp/Oxford/Portland, pp. 73–84
• 2011 Human Rights Aspects in International Scientific Cooperation, in : Nova Acta Leopoldina NF 113, Nr. 387, 47-50
• 2011 Nationsbildung in Luxemburg von der Französischen Revolution bis zum Beginn des Zweiten Weltkriegs: Konzepte, Debatten, Forschungserträge, in: Jacques P. Leider et al. : Du Luxembourg à l’Europe. Hommage à Gilbert Trausch à l’occasion de son 80e anniversaire, Luxembourg 2011, p. 235-249