Scholarship in the Paperbacks of the Federal Republic 1955–1980 (B01)

• Subject Area: German Literary and Cultural Studies (Modern German Literature) ; Theatre and Media Studies
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 438577023

The research project aims at reconstructing the history of dissemination of scientific knowledge in West German paperback editions since the 1950ies. This dissemination is understood as second-order popularization. In contrast to the popularization of science in the second German Empire or during the Weimar Republic, the post-war paperback no longer offers a popular version of knowledge – and paradoxically, precisely because it resembles a mass article and exhibits its popularity. The research project analyses the changing roles of scientists and publishers in publishing scientific knowledge on a massive scale.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1472: Transformations of the Popular
• Applicant Institution: Universität Siegen
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Jörg Döring; Professorin Dr. Ute Schneider