Ms. Noelle Mendelson

Professional Background

Noelle Mendelson received her bachelor’s in history and media studies from the University of Virginia, where she worked as the head marketing intern for UVA Hillel and as a program assistant for the UVA Jewish Studies Program. Her research focuses on the histories of underrepresented communities and seeks to build on her previous research on lesbian print culture in the Weimar Republic. 

Ms. Mendelson joined Monticello as a historical interpreter, contributing to public interpretations of Thomas Jefferson, slavery, and architecture and delivering tours to diverse audiences. This role ignited her interest in public history and solidified her commitment to preserving the past. She was also deeply inspired by her DAAD Germany Close-Up trip to Berlin, where she explored German Jewish history. 

Fellowship Research

Noelle Mendelson was awarded the Bella and Murray Ressler Digital Humanities Fellowship for her research project, “Printed Voices and Hidden Realities: Tracing Queer Spaces and Cultures from Weimar to War's End in Germany.” Her project focuses on illuminating the nuanced history of lesbian and transgender communities in Germany during interwar and World War II. Building upon her previous work, she aims to investigate several key questions, including: How did physical spaces shape the formation and resilience of lesbian and transgender people subcultures in the Weimar Republic, and how did Nazi policies impact these spaces during the Third Reich? What role did print culture play in fostering queer networks and resistance movements? How did the enforcement of anti-LGBTQ+ policies vary across different regions of Germany, and what insights can be gleaned from localized acts of resistance and resilience? Additionally, Mendelson plans to explore the evolution of queer public spaces through postwar memorials and markers, tracing the geographical shifts in LGBTQ+ subculture before, during, and after World War II. 

Leveraging her background in history, media, and technology, Ms. Mendelson aims to create a tangible representation of this historical narrative, drawing from her previous research and utilizing advanced technologies, such as GIS mapping. By examining queer spaces, print culture, police records, and oral testimonies, she seeks to shed light on the experiences of lesbians and transgender people, complementing existing scholarship and offering insights into intersectionality within Holocaust studies and German culture. Through the use of mapping software, she will construct an interactive map showcasing the evolution of queer spaces in Germany, facilitating a dynamic visualization of LGBTQ+ subcultures, resistance, and persecution throughout the Weimar Republic and the Nazi era.

Residency Period: September 1, 2024 – April 30, 2025