Department of History

The professorship for ancient history concerns itself with the period between Archaic Greece and the Late Antiquity (approx. 750 BC – approx. 500 AD), taking the interaction between the Mediterranean World and Ancient Near East into account and combines the classic access to the structural and events history with cultural history.

Diverse methodological access, interdisciplinary openness, and an ability to hold international discussions are what characterize the Kassel access to the thousand years between around 500 and 1500 a period during which there was a crystallization of fundamental cultural, religious, linguistic, and nationally political structures and forms of life. Aspects of the different dimensions of the meaning of space, the generation of knowledge, gender relationships, cultures of memory and law and categories of perception and the dynamics of the exchange within a globalized world are all at the centre of teaching and research.

The special attraction of early modern history is the juxtaposition between that which is familiar and that which is foreign within the own culture and their interdependence with each other. It is the view of the others, the historical alternatives, especially within the formation process of modern times, as a result of which concerning oneself with early modern history will be especially relevant in these modern times.

The modern and contemporary history at Kassel University has its spatial focus on German, European and African history. It commences in the “saddle period“ of around 1800 and extends to recent history.

The professorship covers British and North American History between the early 17th century and the recent past. It is based on the assumption that the history of both of these areas can only be understood as being a product of reciprocal transfers, interconnections, and exchange relationships.

The Western European History field of study concerns itself with the comparative and transnational perspectives with regard to the historical development of France, Spain, Italy, and Germany during the period between the 18th century and the recent past. The focus of the contents is on the communication, media, and publicity history, violence and conflict history, and social history and cultural history aspects of the development of democracy.

The didactics of history research the formation, dissemination, and function of historical concepts in society. The focus here is on the diverse forms of historical culture and the “historical awareness“ within society.