Welcome to the pages of Social and Economic History at the Humboldt University of Berlin!
Our field of research and teaching is concerned with social and economic change in a historical perspective. At the Chair of Social and Economic History at Humboldt University of Berlin we work on a broad range of topics, including the history of finance and business, the history of economic knowledge, and the history of the modern welfare state. These diverse interests are connected by our approach that economic actions of actors and institutions needs to be understood in a European and global context. We address economic history as embedded in political, social, and cultural contexts. Factors such as religion, norms and experiences are taken into account as well as the impact of economic patterns of interpretation. Thus, we pursue a self-reflexive approach, which also includes the study of the emergence and change of economic categories.
Our teaching provides a comprehensive insight into the global social and economic history of the 19th and 20th centuries. We offer courses in all degree programs, including the introductory course at Humboldt University’s Department of History, as well as seminars and courses for the Bachelor of Arts and the Master of Arts. We also regularly teach courses in English as part of the Master's programs in Global History and European History.
We jointly host the Berlin Research Colloquium on Economic and Social History with Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Wolf from the Institute of Economic History at the Faculty of Economic Sciences of Humboldt University. Everyone interested is cordially invited!
Research projects linked to the chair include the history of the Federal Ministry of Finance, European economic integration, children's recreation cures in the FRG, and the DFG priority program Experience and Expectation. Historical Foundations of Economic Action.