Network “Public History: Theory and Methodology of a New Sub-Discipline of History”

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Christine Gundermann
• Subject Area: Modern and Contemporary History
• Term: from 2017 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 352650773

For the first time, the network provides a systematic communication about the theoretical and methodological foundation of public history as a new sub-discipline within the German scientific community. With that approach we meet a significant blank space because public history was mostly understood as “applied history” and was therefore regarded as a praxeological approach to history of (mostly) non-graduates. In bringing together academic public historians from all over the nation we aim to establish a systematic professional discourse and stimulate and professionalize discussions about the academic education of future public historians.In altogether six workshops we focus on guiding terms, theories and methods and particularly on empirical research of a public history understood as a sub-discipline of science of history that – in regarding its objects and institutionalization as academic education – has to be understood and discussed trans-disciplinary and application-oriented. Therefore the network connects historians, experts of history didactics and prehistory, art history and archaeology as well as media sciences. As a result of our work we aim to develop a handbook that systemizes and reflects on theories and methods of public history and will be a ground work for students and public historians in the field alike.

• DFG Programme: Scientific Networks