"Gerhard Besier is a historian (PhD), theologian (DD and Habilitation) and psychologist (Diploma). In 2009, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Lund, Sweden. He has held chairs in Contemporary (Church) History and European Studies at the Universities of Berlin, Heidelberg and Dresden, is currently Director of the Sigmund Neumann Institute, Germany. He has published widely on the themes of German-Polish antagonisms, transformation processes in Europe since 1945, European dictatorships, confessional controversies in Germany, Europe and the USA, and on stereotypes and prejudices. His most recent publications include Why Human Beings Behave How They Do (2014), and Intimately Associated for Many Years (2015).Katarzyna StokÅosa is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Management at the University of Southern Denmark. She completed her PhD at the European University Viadrina, Germany, and her habilitation thesis at the University of Potsdam, Germany. She has published various books and articles on European border regions in comparison and on European history.

Her most recent publication is European Border Regions in Comparison: Overcoming Nationalistic Aspects or Re-Nationalization? (with Gerhard Besier; 2014).".