Peter H. Merkl
Peter H. Merkl, a professor emeritus at UC Santa Barbara, passed away peacefully on July 20, 2024, at the age of 92, surrounded by love and family. A distinguished scholar and prolific writer, Peter was one of the leading political science authorities on modern Germany, endlessly fascinated by what motivates people and cultures through development and upheaval. He was a teacher, a globetrotter, a sailor and a purveyor of puns with an insatiable intellect and lifelong twinkle in his eye. Over a lifetime of achievement, his most enduring legacy was his undying love and commitment to partnership and family.
Peter was born in Munich, Germany, in 1932, the second son of Robert Josef Merkl and Berta Mitterer. His childhood memories of growing up in the chaos of war, literally playing in the rubble of fallen buildings with his beloved older brother, Robert, inspired his career. Peter spent his life searching for the answers to how fascism and nationalism subverted his homeland.
Peter came to the United States in 1952 to study at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where he earned a master’s degree and met his future wife, Elisa DaCruz. He proposed just before returning to the University of Munich to fulfill the terms of his exchange program, and what followed – a year of romantic longing, handwritten letters and at last, a return voyage across the sea – became part of family lore. They were married shortly after his return and headed west to California, where Peter earned a Ph.D. at UC Berkeley and accepted a professorship at UCSB that would last for the next four decades.
Along the way, Peter became a U.S. citizen, published more than two dozen books on comparative politics and German political systems, and earned acclaim and honors around the world, including the prestigious Cross of Merit from the Federal Republic of Germany in 1986. He lectured at universities and conferences from Japan to India, Italy, Germany and Washington, D.C.
Peter spent 60 years with the love of his life in the Santa Barbara area, raising their children, sailing, swimming and kayaking, and inspiring colleagues, students and family with his dedication, commitment and natural curiosity for, well, pretty much everything. His love for travel took him to countless countries, enriching his understanding of global politics and cultures.
After Lisa died in 2017, Peter spent his remaining years in Mill Valley amongst soaring redwoods, bird-filled wetlands and the natural wonder of Mount Tam, surrounded by his beloved family.
He is survived by his children, Jackie and John, and their spouses, Cayford Burrell and Lisa Goodman Merkl; seven grandchildren including Alexandra, Bradford and Travis Merkl, Ted Burrell and his wife Kimberly, Rosalie Burrell and her partner Michael McMahon, Sam Burrell, Amy Burrell Nell and her husband Peter; and great grandchildren Georgia Bea Nell and Marlowe Wilder McMahon.
In lieu of flowers, the family hopes donations will be made to the Nature Conservancy or the Surfrider Foundation to protect the landscapes that Peter so loved, as he embarks on his final adventure, crossing one last ocean to be reunited with his love.