DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

Interests

Geographic Field(s):  Global History; Middle Eastern and North African History

Thematic Field(s):  War and Empire in History; Political and Policy History; Urban History

Principal Research Interest(s):  History of Palestine, Israel, Jerusalem and history of conspiracy theories.

Biography

Roberto Mazza is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, Northwestern University. An historian specializing in the modern Middle East, Dr. Mazza has made contributions to the field of urban history and the study of Jerusalem during the late Ottoman and British Mandate periods. He also developed courses on the global history of conspiracy theories.

Dr. Mazza is the host of the popular "Jerusalem Unplugged" podcast, which explores various aspects of Jerusalem's rich history and contemporary issues. He also serves as a regular host for the New Books Network, where he interviews authors of recent publications in his areas of expertise. Additionally, he holds the position of executive editor for the academic journal "Jerusalem Quarterly."

His academic career includes previous appointments as a visiting professor at Northwestern University and as a Lecturer at the University of Limerick. Dr. Mazza has authored two books focusing on Jerusalem during the First World War period: "Jerusalem: From the Ottomans to the British" (2009) and "Jerusalem in World War I: The Palestine Diary of a European Diplomat" (2011). His scholarly output also encompasses numerous articles and book chapters exploring themes of urban history and the history of violence in the region. His latest publication, in Italian, is forthcoming with Viella (2026), ‘La citta’ contesa: Gerusalemme e la nascita della questione Palestinese (1914-1920)’.