After decades of work bringing German history to students, readers and international audiences, George Washington University professor Hope M. Harrison has been awarded Germany’s highest civilian honor—the prestigious Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
A world-renowned expert on German history and the Cold War, Harrison was recognized for her commitment to deepening public understanding of German history. In the process, she helped strengthen ties between Germany and the United States through her scholarly work, her media engagement and her work on the advisory boards of four German institutions connected with history.
Harrison received the award last month at a ceremony held at the residence of the German ambassador.
Being honored by the very country she has spent over 30 years studying was an emotional and validating experience. She said at the start of her career that she never could have imagined her research would have such a broad impact.
“What is so great about teaching history, especially in this moment, is that history teaches you to think critically,” she said. “History is all about asking key questions and evaluating evidence. Understanding the current state of the world is not possible without understanding the historical forces that shaped it.”
Harrison’s interest in German and Cold War history began during her college years. She studied social studies at Harvard University and went on to complete her doctoral degree in political science at Columbia University. During her studies, she became fascinated by the Cold War era and the impact of division on everyday life in Berlin.
To better understand the period, Harrison learned both German and Russian and began traveling regularly to Germany.
Harrison was especially struck by the profound human impact of the Berlin Wall’s construction in 1961.
“What must it have been like for people living in a world metropolis like Berlin, which had about four million people at the time, and suddenly it’s divided?” Harrison said. “Families were separated, loved ones, friends. Maybe you lived in one half and went to college in the other, and suddenly you couldn’t. Or you lived in one half and worked in the other. The impact it had on people’s lives has made me passionate about understanding this history. Both the building of the wall and its fall are iconic moments in world history, and that’s what has kept me fascinated.”
This interest became the foundation of a career that has spanned more than three decades. Her work on the Berlin Wall, including multiple books and international media appearances, has contributed to ongoing conversations about Cold War history around the world.
She was one of the first historians to have the chance to go into the formally closed, top-secret communist archives in Berlin and Moscow. She studied thousands of documents that revealed new information about events that transpired during the Cold War, specifically with the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961.
Harrison’s first book “Driving the Soviets Up the Wall” received widespread attention and recognition for introducing new evidence to the world on the dynamics between Russia and Germany during that time. It was also published in German translation, and Harrison gave talks all over the country and across German media about it.
“During the Cold War, the common belief in the West was that Moscow called all the shots,” Harrison explained. “People thought the Berlin Wall was an aggressive move by the Soviets to separate East and West Berlin, but my research revealed a different story. The Soviets actually resisted building the Wall, fearing it would make them look terrible. Instead, it was the East German leadership pushing for it, often taking unilateral actions at the border.”
As she travels and speaks to audiences around the world about this history, Harrison has found many others share her fascination with this topic. She finds it deeply rewarding that her research resonates with wide audiences.
“What I find so interesting when I'm interviewed is how many people still want to know about the Berlin Wall and have questions,” Harrison said. “It feels funny, like I've done this work explaining about the wall already, and I'm going to say it all over again. But new generations find new connections to it.”
That ongoing curiosity and new perspectives on the subject are something she sees a lot from students in her classroom. For 25 years, Harrison has taught history and international affairs at GW.
“Well, the students, it never fails to surprise me and inspire me that they always have new questions. That's one of the reasons I love teaching at GW,” Harrison said. “The students are engaged, and they have questions. I've worked on the Berlin Wall for decades and yet, still, there'll be times when a student asks me something that I hadn't thought about.”
Her work in this field has led her to several deeply meaningful milestones.
One of the earliest moments was when, “Driving the Soviets Up the Wall,” received the Marshall Shulman Book Prize for the best book on international relations of the former Soviet Bloc.
“It was really moving and validating. Doubly moving because at the time, my mother was battling cancer, a battle that she lost. And the fact that I could share that with her and lift her up for a little while, I will never forget that,” Harrison said. “So that was a very important moment.”
Her work also took her into public service, another milestone. From 2000 to 2001, Harrison served on the White House National Security Council as director of European and Eurasian Affairs. Her portfolio included 11 countries, allowing her a unique chance to personally engage in high-level diplomacy and policy making, including as the White House representative to peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Receiving Germany’s Cross of the Order of Merit, she said, is a milestone moment she will never forget and feels like a lifetime achievement award for her work.
