The 1848 Revolution as a European event. State of Research and educational Consequences

So far, the GDR history education (Geschichtsdidaktik) has largely been understood as an established system or even perceived from the perspective of its “liquidation”. Almost exclusively text hermeneutic methods were used.
The present study uses alternative approaches in terms of content and methodology. It examines the roots and the beginning…[Read more]

Jubilees, anniversaries, commemoration days, public holidays, etc. Anniversaryitis. The coincidences of the calendar and the astronomical constellations that determine it are increasingly and, today, almost exclusively, defining when and with what our so-called historical consciousness occupies itself. If our current public history–our d…[Read more]

Public History scandals have occurred repeatedly in the German Bundeswehr (German armed forces) in recent years. These scandals comprised young men belonging to this modern parliamentary army who actively draw on the traditions and symbols that were once used by the National Socialist Wehrmacht. This has prompted the German Ministry of Defence to…[Read more]

Paul Feyerabend’s essay “Against method” (1975) is rarely mentioned when scientists try to contextualise and justify their research projects. Or at least I have never come across this piece as a positive reference in a proposal submitted to me for review nor have I ever heard it referred to positively in a talk. Well, except if the writer or speak…[Read more]

In his detailed keynote chapter, I undertake to restructure the terminological field, which is internationally referred to as “Public History”, but also uses terms such as “Cultural Heritage”, “Collective Memory”, “Culture of Remembrance” or “History Culture” etc. He expands on current ways of understanding the term “Public History” and the core…[Read more]

Based on the title metaphors of a 17th-century devotional book I explore the semantic potential of two image areas and their relationship as symbols for organizing highly fragmented collections of texts and their reading: “hunting” and “forests”. This also encompasses a contribution to determining the genre “silvae”.

The well-known German Christmas carol “Lieb Nachtigall, wach auf” (Dear nightingale, awake), first printed in the 1670 Bamberg Hymnal, is shown to be derived from a spiritual poem by Jesuit Friedrich Spee. In an article published in Daphnis 35 (2006) I have explored the links between the two poems in more detail.