Mary Fulbrook


Mary Jean Alexandra Fulbrook, is a British academic and historian. Since 1995, she has been Professor of German History at University College London. She is a noted researcher in a wide range of fields, including religion and society in early modern Europe, the German dictatorships of the twentieth century, Europe after the Holocaust, and historiography and social theory.

Early life

Fulbrook was born Mary Jean Alexandra Wilson on 28 November 1951 to Arthur Wilson and Harriett C. Wilson. She was educated at Sidcot School, an independent day and boarding school in Somerset, and at King Edward VI High School, an all-girls independent school in Birmingham. She went on to study at Newnham College, Cambridge. In 1973, she graduated with a double first class Bachelor of Arts degree; this was converted to Master of Arts in 1977. She then moved to the United States where she undertook post-graduate study at Harvard University. She completed her Master of Arts degree in 1975 and her Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1979.

Academic career

Fulbrook began her academic career as a temporary lecturer at the London School of Economics for the 1977/1978 academic year and at Brunel University for 1978/1979. She was then held the Lady Margaret Research Fellowship at New Hall, Cambridge from 1979 to 1982, and was a research associate at King's College London from 1982 to 1983.
On 1 October 1983, Fulbrook joined University College London as a lecturer. She was promoted to Reader in German History in 1991, and made Professor of German History in 1995. She was head of UCL's Department of German from 1995 to 2006, and was Executive Dean of its Faculty of Social and History Sciences from 2013 to 2018.
Fulbrook was the first female Chair of the German History Society; and, together with Richard J. Evans, was a founding Editor of its journal, German History.

Personal life

In 1973, the then Mary Wilson married Julian Fulbrook. Together they have one daughter and two sons.

Honours

In 2007, Fulbrook was elected Fellow of the British Academy. She is also an elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. For her monograph, Reckonings, Fulbrook won the 2019 Wolfson History Prize and is a finalist for the 2019 Cundill Prize.

Selected publications