Katja Hoyer

Katja Hoyer FRHistS
Katja Hoyer (2024)
Born	1985 Guben, German Democratic Republic
Occupation(s)	Historian, journalist, writer
Known for	Work on East Germany
Academic background
Education	University of Jena (MA)
Academic work
Institutions	King's College London

Katja Hoyer (born 1985)[1] is a German-British[2] historian, journalist and writer.[3][4]

Life and career

Hoyer was born in Guben, East Germany,[5] where her mother was a teacher and her father an East German military officer.[6] She received a Master's degree from the University of Jena[3] and moved to the United Kingdom in about 2010.[7]

Hoyer is a visiting research fellow at King's College London and has published two books about the history of Germany.[8] She is also a journalist for The Spectator,[9] The Washington Post,[10] Times Literary Supplement,[11] UnHerd,[12] and Die Welt.[3]

Her first book, Blood and Iron, about the German Empire from 1871 to 1918, was well reviewed,[13][14] even though some reviewers suggested that she had played down the negative aspects of the period and of Otto von Bismarck's legacy.[15][16] Her second book, Beyond the Wall, about the history of East Germany from 1949 to 1990, was well reviewed in the United Kingdom,[1][17][18][19][20] but less well received in Germany.[6]

Hoyer is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.[3]

Works

Books

• Blood and Iron: The Rise and Fall of the German Empire 1871–1918 (The History Press, 2021)
• Beyond the Wall: East Germany, 1949–1990 (Random House, 2023) [21][22][23]

Articles

• "Life in East Germany: the cultural evolution behind the Iron Curtain"[24]
• "What's 'wrong' with east Germany? Look to its long neglect by the wealthy west"[25]
• "There's only one way to keep Germany's far-right AfD at bay. Address the concerns it exploits."[26]

Film

• Hoyer is acting as Lead Historical Adviser and Technical Consultant for upcoming Cold War biopic Whispers of Freedom, based on the true story of Chris Gueffroy.[27][28]

References

1. Mikanowski, Jacob (2023-04-02). "Beyond the Wall by Katja Hoyer review – the human face of the socialist state". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
2. "Katja Hoyer". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
3. "Katja Hoyer". www.kcl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
4. Penguin, author biography: Katja Hoyer. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
5. Hansel, Jana (8 May 2023). ""Das Interesse an deutscher Geschichte ist groß"" ["There is a great deal of interest in German history"]. www.zeit.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-01.
6. Peter, Conradi (2023-06-29). "Katja Hoyer tried to tell a different story about East Germany. Now Germans are furious". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
7. Studemann, Frederick (2023-04-28). "Katja Hoyer: we need to hear 'the whole story' about East Germany". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
8. London, King's College. "Katja Hoyer". King's College London. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
9. "Katja Hoyer, Author at The Spectator". The Spectator. 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
10. "Katja Hoyer – The Washington Post". Katja Hoyer. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
11. "Katja Hoyer Archives". TLS. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
12. "Katja Hoyer". UnHerd. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
13. Moody, Oliver (2023-06-29). "Blood and Iron by Katja Hoyer review — Germany: glued together by enemy blood". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
14. Barber, Tony (2021-01-18). "Blood and Iron by Katja Hoyer — conflicted Germany". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
15. Joseph, Cronin. "Blood and Iron: The Rise and Fall of the German Empire 1871–1918". Reviews in History. ISSN 1749-8155. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
16. Hawes, James (2021-01-14). "Whitewashing Bismarck just won't wash". The Spectator. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
17. David, Saul (2023-03-20). "Willkommen to the GDR! A warts-and-all history of East Germany". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
18. ""Beyond the Wall" adds depth to caricatures of East Germany". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
19. Boyes, Roger (2023-06-03). "Beyond the Wall by Katja Hoyer review — why East Germany was doomed from the start". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
20. Leeder, Karen (31 March 2023). "The good, the bad and the ugly in the other Germany". TLS. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
21. Marton, Kati (2023-09-05). "Life During Cold Wartime in East Berlin". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
22. "The Lamp Magazine | The Historian's Anxiety at the Guard Tower". The Lamp Magazine. 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
23. "Katja Hoyer: we need to hear 'the whole story' about East Germany". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
24. Life in East Germany: the cultural evolution behind the Iron Curtain
25. Hoyer, Katja (7 March 2024). "What's 'wrong' with east Germany? Look to its long neglect by the wealthy west". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
26. Hoyer, Katja (3 September 2024). "There's only one way to keep Germany's far-right AfD at bay. Address the concerns it exploits". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
27. Poti, Tomas. "A Sneak Peek into the Upcoming Cold War Biographical Thriller Film". Cinema Go Movies. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
28. Yossman, K.J. (5 March 2024). "Cold War Thriller 'Whispers of Freedom' Sets Principal Cast (EXCLUSIVE) – Global Bulletin". Variety. Retrieved 24 July 2024.

External links

• Academic Profile at King's College London
• Washington Post, Author Page The Washington Post
• Katja Hoyer on Twitter