By University Communications
Wednesday, 12 06 2023

Prof. Edward Westermann's book explores the role of alcohol in the Holocaust

SAN ANTONIO — Texas A&M University-San Antonio Regents Professor of History Edward B. Westermann has received a prestigious International Book Prize for Holocaust Research for his book “Drunk on Genocide: Alcohol and Mass Murder in Nazi Germany.”

The Yad Vashem's International Institute for Holocaust Research presented the award to Dr. Westermann in a virtual ceremony on Dec. 4. For over two decades, Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, has been awarding the prize to scholars and historians who have written important research on the subject of the Holocaust. The prize aims to encourage excellent and enlightening research on new topics relating to the Holocaust or those topics needing re-evaluation in light of newly discovered documentation.

“I am humbled by this prestigious award,” said Westermann. “I accept it in honor of the spirit and memory of my friends and Holocaust survivors who have enriched my life with their passion and deep commitment to Holocaust education. Many of them are now gone, but they will not be forgotten as long as we continue to tell their stories.”

Westermann’s 2021 book explores the role that alcohol consumption and drinking rituals played in the Holocaust, helping dispel misconceptions about the SS, the elite guard of the Nazi Reich and Adolf Hitler’s security force. The international panel of judges indicated that Westermann’s book is a “stellar contribution to Holocaust and perpetrator studies.”

Established in 1953, Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, is located in Jerusalem and has museums, exhibitions, monuments, sculptures and memorial sites. In 1993, Yad Vashem established the International Institute for Holocaust Research as an academic research unit to encourage and support worldwide scholarly research on the Holocaust and Holocaust-related topics.

Earlier this year, Westermann was named a 2023 Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation. Westermann is one of 10 professors awarded the distinction in the state of Texas. Selections are based on nominations submitted by each college or university in Texas and 10 awards of $5,000 each are bestowed annually to outstanding professors for their exceptional teaching at the collegiate level.

Following a 25-year career with the United States Air Force, during which time he served as a professor and colonel in command of the USAF Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base, Westermann started at Texas A&M-San Antonio in 2010 as an associate professor of history. He was named Director of International Education in 2014 and then Regent Professor of History the following year. He was inducted into Texas A&M University-System Chancellor’s Academy of Teacher Educators in 2018.

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About Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Established as a stand-alone university in 2009, Texas A&M University-San Antonio is a comprehensive four-year public university that reflects the culturally diverse, heritage-rich community it serves. Situated on nearly 700 acres in South San Antonio, the University offers 39 undergraduate degrees and 23 graduate degrees to about 7,620 students. A&M-San Antonio is home to the Henry G. Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders and the Cyber Engineering Technology/Cyber Security Research Center. The University holds the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation and is one of 39 higher education institutions in the U.S. to have received the Seal of Excelencia certification from Excelencia in Education for its support of Latino student success. More than 77 percent of A&M-SA students identify as Hispanic, and approximately 72 percent are the first in their families to attend college. A&M-San Antonio is a military-embracing institution; the University was recently awarded the 2023 Gold Veteran Education Excellence Recognition Award (VEERA) from the Texas Veterans Commission. Visit tamusa.edu for more information. #onamission