POTSDAM, Germany—The University of Potsdam and the House of Lepsius Organization (Lepsiushaus) signed an agreement on June 6 to continue to intensify their existing Genocide Studies program.
From 1908 to 1926, the “Lepsiushaus” used to be the home of Dr. Johannes Lepsius, the great German humanist, philosopher, and historian. Lepsius is famous among Armenians for his tireless fight for Armenian human rights during and after the Armenian Genocide.
During the Cold War, the building in East Germany was abandoned. It deteriorated to the verge of destruction. In recent years, the building has been handsomely renovated to pristine condition with the help of the Ministry of Culture in Germany, as well as by the generosity of private donations. In May of 2011, the new “Lepsiushaus” opened its door to the public as a “Research Center for Genocide Studies.”
Dr. Rolf Hosfeld, the scientific managing director of “Lepsiushaus,” has been instrumental in both the renovation and creation of the research center. Dr. Hosfeld is a scholar of German literature, history, and philosophy, as well as an award-winning author. Besides countless essays and articles, he has published over twenty books, including one on the history of the Armenian Genocide. He has been the Editor of major German newspapers and has been a radio and television producer for leading German broadcasting agencies.
In the German scientific community, the cooperation between Lepsiushaus and the University of Potsdam will be a major step to establishing research on the topic of the Armenian Genocide.
