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Celebrating Hilde Himmelweit: women, scholarship, and LSE’s intellectual history
LSEHoughton Street
Thu 22 Oct · 18:30 · Free
About this event
Join us to celebrate Hilde Himmelweit as part of LSE’s 130th anniversary programme, honouring the life and legacy of Hilde Himmelweit (1918–1989), a pioneering refugee scholar and one of the very few women to hold a professorship at the School in its early history. Appointed Professor of Social Psychology in 1964, she played a pivotal role in establishing Social Psychology as a recognised field at LSE and made internationally influential contributions to media and communication research. Her landmark study Television and the Child (1958), the first major empirical investigation of television’s effects in the UK, helped shape debates about media and society for decades to come. Himmelweit’s remarkable journey, from forced migration to intellectual leadership, offers a unique perspective on the history of LSE, the contributions of refugee scholars, and the achievements of women in higher education. Bringing together colleagues, former students, family, and scholars, this event will reflect on her scholarship, leadership, and enduring impact on LSE and beyond.
Follow the thread
From this venue’s worldPlaces for Curious MindsScience, philosophy, politics, design and public ideas for people who still enjoy changing their minds.LineageApplied economics and policyTrace other London rooms working in this tradition.LineageContemporary political theoryTrace other London rooms working in this tradition.LineageClimate and environmental governanceTrace other London rooms working in this tradition.Adjacent this weekConviviality as ResistanceWhitechapel GalleryAdjacent this weekEPICo Conference 2026British LibraryAdjacent this weekThe Sociological Review Foundation’s Public Lecture 2026 with Angela SainiSOAS
A different kind of night
Not the same tradition as the lineage above — a genuinely different thread to pull, if you want one.