Scienceישראל גצלר

Israel Getzler

Israel Getzler was an Israeli historian of Russia and the Soviet Union and a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

1920 to 2012Research on the Russian RevolutionA political biography of MartovA book on Kronstadt 1917 to 1921Co-founding La Trobe University

Born: 14 May 1920, Berlin
Died: 8 January 2012
Occupation: historian of Modern Age, historian of Eastern Europe, university teacher, writer

Israel Getzler was born in 1920 in Berlin

Israel Getzler was born in Berlin on May 14, 1920. His father, Haim Mordechai Getzler, came from Zmigrod in Poland and dealt in textiles, and his mother Devora came from Krakow. He attended the Adass Yisroel Realgymnasium and was active in Hashomer Hatzair.

Because the family held Polish citizenship, he was deported from Germany to Poland in October 1938. After the war began, Soviet authorities sent the family to northern Siberia. He worked in several jobs there, including gold mining and driving.

After the war the family returned to Germany and moved to Australia in 1948. He studied at the University of Melbourne and earned his doctorate at the London School of Economics under Leonard Schapiro. He taught at several Australian universities and was among the founders of La Trobe University.

In 1972 he moved to Israel and joined the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, teaching Russian history and European socialism until he retired in 1989. He wrote books on Martov, Kronstadt in 1917 to 1921, and Nikolai Sukhanov. He also took part in demonstrations against settlers.

In 1976 he married journalist Devora Zussman and lived with her in Jerusalem. He died on January 8, 2012, and was buried at Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim.