Research
At The Professorship of Historical Geography our research is regionally deepened and globally comparative to the social constitutions of spaces and the spatial conditions of society from early modern times to contemporary history.
Übersicht
Thematic research perspectives
The focus of our thematic interests is the social constitution of spaces and living worlds as historical processes. We deal with territorializations of the most diverse kind and scope and look at the constantly changing spatial and social meanings of borders, spatial memories and identities.
Regional research perspectives
It is important for us to have a regionally deepened historical geography that can locate social spatialization processes locally and thereby appreciate the peculiarities and subtleties of a micro-perspective. These local and regional insights are always placed in a larger spatial context and not only placed in the European context, but also compared globally. Our research focuses primarily on Central Europe with a special interest in Germany and the Eastern Central European successor states of the former Habsburg Monarchy. Non-European comparative dimensions are above all North America and East and Southeast Asia.
Theoretical research perspectives
We mainly work with medium-range concepts and apply very different approaches from the broad spectrum of historical geography, contemporary human geography and historical cultural studies. Our research is inspired by the history of concepts, is socially constructivist, and connects to current international developments in spatial theory and social theory. We are historically sensitive and critical to the theories, concepts and objects of our research and follow the idea of freedom from value judgement.
Methodological research perspectives
We work with the whole range of historical-geographical research methods and deal in depth with map and image material, archive sources and document analyses, material sources and material traditions. With our historical-hermeneutic basic understanding we pursue a connection with the methods of interpretative social research. The connection of our research to the possibilities of Digital Humanitites and Geographical Information Systems is central for us.
Research perspectives over time
Our research extends from the end of the Middle Ages to the present day. The focus is on the early modern period, the long 19th century and the middle of the 20th century.