Background
Schickel was born in Ústí nad Labem/Aussig an der Elbe, Czechoslovakia.
Schickel was born in Ústí nad Labem/Aussig an der Elbe, Czechoslovakia.
After finishing his studies he taught at a private school in Ingolstadt. In 1966 Schickel earned a doctorate in Ancient History with a dissertation on Roman legal history. His research has since focused on contemporary history, particularly the history of Central Europe.
From 1974 till 1995 he was head of a Catholic educational institution, the Katholisches Bildungswerk Ingolstadt.
Schickel, a Sudeten German, experienced the expulsion of Germans after World World War II and came as a refugee to West Germany. Heinz Nawratil wrote a "A "Diatribe" in Honor of Doctor Alfred Schickel" published in the Journal of Historical Review.
Schickel has written an obituary for Hellmut Diwald, published in the far-right National Zeitung and Criticon.
The award was criticized by the leading German newsmagazine "Der Spiegel" as Schickel was allegedly working towards an exculpation of Nazism.