Professor Dr. Kristin Semmens

Biography

Joining the History Department, Kristin Semmens studied at the University of British Columbia (BA Honours History), University of Victoria (MA History), and University of Cambridge, UK (PhD History). She specializes in German history of the 20th century with a particular focus on Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. Her book, 'Seeing Hitler’s Germany: Tourism in the Third Reich', offers a comprehensive look at the state-run commercial tourism under the Nazi regime. Her other works include 'Swastika Nazi Germany', published by Bloomsbury in 2023, and scholarly articles such as 'Framing Mein Kampf: Nazi Bible International Cartoons (1925-1945)' published in Historian. Semmens teaches courses in public history, focusing on learning the past through academia, museums, and historical fiction in video games. She is recognized for her teaching excellence with several awards including the 2013 Gilian Sherwin Award and has been a multiple recipient of the UVic History Department’s 'Most Valuable Professor' Award.

Research Interests

Courses