Kurt R. Spillmann

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Kurt Robert Spillmann (born April 5, 1937 in Zurich ) is a Swiss historian and conflict researcher and emeritus professor for security policy and conflict research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich .

biography

Spillmann studied history in Zurich , Rome and at Yale University . In 1963 he did his doctorate under Leonhard von Muralt at the University of Zurich with a dissertation on Zwingli's policy towards the Prince Abbey of St. Gallen . In addition to his research activities, he worked as a teacher at various Zurich high schools and completed his habilitation in 1978 at the University of Zurich with his habilitation thesis on “America's Ideology of Peace”. In 1986 he was appointed full professor for security policy and conflict research at the ETH Zurich, where he founded the research center for security policy and conflict analysis (now the Center for Security Studies ). In addition, he was also adjunct professor at the University of Zurich. In the Swiss militia army Spillmann held the rank of colonel . From 1987 to 1995 he also headed the Department of Military Sciences at the ETH. As a military and security politician, he advised the Swiss government and parliament on issues relating to security policy and the reorganization of the Swiss military. Under his leadership, the Center for International Studies (today Center for Comparative and International Studies , CIS ) was established in 1997 as an umbrella organization for the cooperation between various chairs for political science, history and economics at the University of Zurich and at the ETH Zurich. Spillmann retired on October 1, 2002. Today he lives in Zurich and Cortona , Italy. He is married to the psychoanalyst Kati Spillmann.

Teaching and Research

The main focal points of Spillmann's research were American foreign and security policy in the post-war period, Swiss security policy after 1945, and conflict research, particularly in connection with environmental destruction and the struggle for water. His lecture series Contemporary History Backgrounds of Current Conflicts, which he held for many years, attracted great attention from students and the public. As the head of the Research Center for Security Policy and Conflict Analysis, he was the editor of various series of publications on security policy and conflict research. B. the bulletin on Swiss security policy , the Zurich articles on security policy and conflict analysis or studies on contemporary history and security policy . In addition, Spillmann became known primarily through numerous appearances on Swiss television and radio as an expert on American politics and history as well as current crises and conflicts. Together with his wife, the psychoanalyst Kati Spillmann, he wrote numerous essays on psychological questions in historical and political science.

Publications

  • Zwingli and Zurich's policy towards the St. Gallen Abbey . Fehr, St. Gallen 1965.
  • America's Ideology of Peace: Origins, Changes in Shape, and Historical Impact of American Belief in the Myth of a Peaceful World Order . Lang, Bern 1984. ISBN 3261033819 .
  • Aggressive USA? American Security Policy 1945–1985 . Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1985. ISBN 360891384X .
  • Space since 1945 . Birkhäuser, Basel 1988. ISBN 3764322039 .
  • Focus on Switzerland. 27 views . NZZ, Zurich 1995. ISBN 3858235520 .
  • The New Switzerland. Problems and Policies . Palo Alto 1996. ISBN 0930664167 .
  • «Cause of war for the next generation? The fight for the water » . In: Internationale Politik, December 2000.
  • Swiss security policy since 1945 . NZZ, Zurich 2001. ISBN 3858239097 .
  • Contemporary historical background to current conflicts: Lecture series at the ETH Zurich, summer semester 2002 . Publisher: Research Center for Security Policy ETH Zurich 2003. ISBN 978-3905641844 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Christof Münger: "Moody men are dangerous". Interview in: Tages-Anzeiger on March 28, 2017.
personal data
SURNAME Spillmann, Kurt R.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Spillmann, Kurt Robert; Spillmann, Kurt
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss historian, conflict researcher and university professor
DATE OF BIRTH April 5, 1937
PLACE OF BIRTH Zurich