Kurt Raaflaub

Kurt Arnold Raaflaub (15 February 1941 – 12 September 2023) was a Swiss and American historian and emeritus named chair professor of classics and ancient history at Brown University, where he taught Greek and Roman history. He was a president of the Society for Classical Studies in 2008 and won the American Historical Association's 2004 James Henry Breasted Prize for his book The Discovery of Freedom in Ancient Greece.

Early life and education Raaflaub was born to Fritz Raaflaub and Heidi Ninck on 15 February 1941 in Buea, Cameroon, where his father worked as a missionary. After returning to his Swiss hometown of Basel at age seven, He served in the Swiss military. He was the 2008 president of the Society for Classical Studies.

After his retirement he continued to work, and he was awarded a Mellon Emeritus Fellowship in 2010.

Personal life and death Raaflaub was married to Deborah Boedeker. He was the brother of conductor Beat Raaflaub.

Raaflaub died after a fall on 12 September 2023, in Providence, Rhode Island, at the age of 82.