Dr. Jonas Kauffeldt

Dr. Jonas Kauffeldt, associate professor of history at the University of North Georgia (UNG), has died at age 53.

Kauffeldt was born June 3, 1968, to the late Jorgen and Joan Kauffeldt in Copenhagen, Denmark. He had lived in the United States since the late 1980s.

Kauffeldt joined the history faculty at UNG in 2009 and his area of concentration was the modern Middle East, focusing specifically on Orientalism, Western imperialism/influence in the region, and Armenian history.  He taught several history classes on UNG's Gainesville Campus, but also taught special topics classes on global issues. 

In the years before arriving in Georgia, he held several one-year positions as a visiting assistant professor at the University of Central Florida, the University of North Florida, and Furman University. 

Kauffeldt earned bachelor's degrees in international studies and history from the University of South Florida, a master's degree in international affairs from Florida State University, and a Ph.D. in history from Florida State University.

His research interests included Orientalism, Ottoman Armenia, general Armenian history, Italian North Africa, and the Second World War in the Middle East. In addition to teaching, Kauffeldt also served as co-faculty advisor to the Students for a Progressive Society Club and was a member of the Georgia Association of Historians and the Middle East Studies Association.

Kauffeldt died Aug. 11, 2021, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center – Gainesville and is survived by his brother, Jan Kauffeldt.

A memorial service was held Aug. 20 at Christ Lutheran Church, 3612 Old Oakwood Rd., Oakwood, GA 30566. Condolences may be offered online at Memorial Park Funeral Homes.