Coming to terms with National Socialism under the sign of 'sober' objectivity? Academic practice and knowledge production at the Institute of Contemporary History (1949 - 1989)

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Klaus Große Kracht; Professorin Dr. Kirsten Heinsohn
• Subject Area: Modern and Contemporary History
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 544831671

A comprehensive history of the IfZ and its significance for knowledge about National Socialism represents an important desideratum for research into the history of coming to terms with the Nazi past. The more than 70-year history of the Institute reflects both developments in the history of science as well as general political and socio-historical tendencies in coming to terms with National Socialism and thus also in knowledge about National Socialism. In order to tap this potential, a broad knowledge-historical approach is chosen for the project: Knowledge is understood as a product of social practices and communication processes, in which the inherent logic of the respective institutions, groups and researchers, the historiographical development in the academic field as well as the broader social contexts of knowledge production and reception interact. The project aims to examine the research conducted at the IfZ as a multidimensional "production and circulation of knowledge" (P. Sarasin) about the National Socialist past. The contours and specifics of the knowledge production carried out at the IfZ will be investigated, as well as the effects on the history of science and the culture of history that were triggered by the work of the IfZ. The focus is on three knowledge-historical dimensions: the research and communicative practice of the IfZ historians among themselves, academic publishing and the institutional self-description of the institute and, finally, the knowledge-historical exchange and circulation processes with other national and international institutions on Nazi research. The research project is to be carried out in two PostDoc projects, with the aim of writing two monographs that are related to each other. One project deals with the founding and development phase from 1949 to 1972, the other with the IfZ under the direction of Martin Broszat (1972-1989).

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Thomas Großbölting