Niklas Schäfer studied Political Science and German Studies for teaching at secondary schools at the Philipps University of Marburg, completing his first state examination for secondary school teaching in 2022. Since February 2023, he has been working as a research associate in the Department of Didactics of Civic Education at the Institute of Political Science at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz with Prof. Dr. Kerstin Pohl, where he has also been pursuing his doctorate since 2023.

His main areas of focus are the educational and social theoretical foundations of civic education, the history of civic education, civic education with a focus on combating antisemitism, as well as Critical Theory and civic education. His research interests are particularly concerned with the development and reflection of civic education after 1945. A special emphasis is placed on the relationship between civic education and the (non-)coming to terms with the rupture of civilization.