Steven Korenblat (1948—2019) earned his undergraduate degree in history at Washington University in St. Louis in 1970 and a Ph.D. in Modern European History from the University of Chicago. In 1978, he published his dissertation on the Deutsche Hochschule für Politik, a Berlin-based school founded in the early years of Germany’s Weimar Republic, which he described as “one of the most unique and promising educational experiments in modern German history.” This postsecondary school intended to support Germany’s fragile Weimar Republic by cultivating the knowledge, skills, and civic virtue essential “to the challenge of building a popular democracy.” Steven’s 1978 dissertation, titled The Deutsche Hochschule für Politik : public affairs institute for a new Germany, 1920-1933, is a study of the Hochschule.
In 1974, Steven became a dean at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, where he served until 1983. While serving as a dean, Steven also earned his JD degree. After earning his law degree, Steven became a lawyer at Bryan Cave LLP in St. Louis, where he practiced commercial real estate law. Steven was well-regarded for his ability to bring people to the table, and in a collegial way, then negotiate a common ground. In 1993, he became a Partner in the law firm.
During his time as a lawyer in private practice, Steven continued to study the topics in his history dissertation. With some internet searches, he was surprised to discover that his dissertation was not history itself: it had been cited and discussed in academic publications abroad. This discovery reignited his academic research and outreach to professors. In 2006, Steven published an article, “A School for the Republic? Cosmopolitans and their Enemies at the Deutsche Hochschule für Politik, 1920-1933,” for a peer-reviewed journal, Central European History (Cambridge University Press). In May 2006, Steven accepted an invitation to speak and take part in a conference at the Sorbonne in Paris, about the nascent field of political science in Weimar Republic Germany. Even though he didn’t become a history professor—his original goal—Steven’s story exemplifies that it is never too late to keep learning and pursue your dreams.
Family and friends remember Steven as a devoted and supportive husband, father, grandfather, and mentor. Ever reasonable, Steven learned from experience and other perspectives. Steven was willing to revise his opinions when presented with new evidence. At the same time, Steven cared deeply about an education that could support the humanities, civic virtue, and pluralist values.