Rolf Steininger (August 2, 1942, Plettenberg) is a German historian and university professor for contemporary history.
Steininger studied English language and literature and history at the universities of Marburg, Göttingen, Munich, Lancaster and Cardiff. He received a doctor's degree in 1971 and habilitated at the University of Hanover in 1976. Since 1980 he was professor in Hannover, in 1983 he was appointed to a professorship at the University of Innsbruck.
Since 1984 Steininger is leading the Institute for Contemporary History in Innsbruck. His work concentrates in particular on the history of Post-War Germany, Austria and South Tyrol.
Since 1995 Steininger is holder of a Jean Monnet chair, he is Senior Fellow of the Eisenhower Center for American Studies at the University of New Orleans and member of the executive committee of the European Community Studies Association. He was visiting professor at the universities of Hanoi, Saigon and Cape Town.