Ellen Wurtzel

  • Associate Professor of History
  • Chair of Jewish Studies

Areas of Study

Education

  • BA, Duke University, 1992
  • MS, education, Bank Street College, 1995
  • MA, Columbia University 1998
  • PhD, Columbia University, 2007

Biography

Teaching Interests: Medieval and early modern Europe, especially social, political, and cultural formation of the West from 1000-1700

Research Interests: Urban and legal history, state development, and gender.

Professor Wurtzel’s book project is about the transformation of urban jurisdiction and space in the context of early modern state formation in the southern Low Countries.

Spring 2023

Introduction to Historical Methods — HIST 299
Senior Capstone in Jewish Studies — JWST 400
Lords, Peasants, and Pigs on Trial: popular and elite culture in early modern Europe — HIST 412

Fall 2023

Medieval and Early Modern European History — HIST 101
Seminar: Crusades: Contact & Conflict in the Mediterranean World — HIST 335
The Crusades — JWST 335

Notes

Ellen Wurtzel Interviewed

June 22, 2017

Ellen Wurtzel, associate professor of history, was interviewed for the Royal Studies Journal blog about her article "The Joyous Entry of Albert and Isabella in Lille: History, Conquest and the Making of Belgium” which appeared in a December 2016 issue of the Royal Studies Journal (RSJ) called Taking Possession: Royal Entries in the Early Modern Period. The piece was developed from a paper she delivered at the 2015 Sixteenth-Century Studies annual conference and investigates the way that the city’s history was used to establish loyalty to the prince and envision a new empire in the midst of war and religious conflict.

News

The Hectic and Gratifying Life of a CNN Producer

March 17, 2021

Matthew Kendrick’s passion for shooting and editing video led to a position as an associate producer with CNN political commentator Fareed Zakaria. Today, he reflects on his experiences and offers advice to students who have hopes of working in the broadcast journalism industry.

Jewish Studies Program Experiences Renewal

August 26, 2019

New faculty members and new programming offer students a robust experience in the study of Jewish history, culture, religious tradition, and literature.

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