Albrecht Classen, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of German Studies, has received several recent accolades.
A prolific scholar and teacher of the Middle Ages and the early modern age, Classen has published 138 books and 887 articles.
In November, Classen’s article for the journal Dialogo was cited in the issue’s introduction: “Prof. Albrecht Classen clearly emerges as the most renowned voice – his wide-ranging expertise and scholarly authority infuse the section with both gravitas and an expansive understanding of how literature continues to illuminate spiritual truth.”
As of December 2025, his Academia.edu profile is in the top 1 percent, with almost 28,000 public views, and readers coming from 150 countries.
Also in late 2025, for the second straight year, Classen was named a Highly Ranked Scholar - Lifetime by ScholarGPS. In the specialty of modern history, Classen is ranked second in the world, up from fifth last year, and the top in the United States.
ScholarGPS analyzes scholarly activity, producing rankings based on a “continually updated, fully indexed compilation of metadata corresponding to over 200 million archival publications.” Highly Ranked Scholars are recognized for being in the top 0.05% of scholars in their specialties worldwide.
In January, Classen was elected to the Arizona Senior Academy Board of Directors, which serves the lifelong learning community of Academy Village.
Classen, who began his career at the University of Arizona in 1987, specializes in German and European medieval and early modern literature and culture. He has won several prestigious teaching awards, including the Five Star Faculty Award (2009) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching 2012 Arizona Professor of the Year Award. He was knighted as Grand Knight Commander of the Most Noble Order of the Three Lions in 2017.