Der deutsche Historikerverband im interdisziplinären Vergleich

The history of the German Historical Association is to evaluate and to write appropriate only in comparison with other scientific associations and academic cultures. This issue is dedicated to this transdisciplinary comparison of scientific associations and presents essays on the development of the German Sociological Association (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Soziologie), the German Association of German Studies (Deutscher Germanistenverband) and the American Studies Association.

This contribution reconstructs the histories of the two scientific disciplines Sociology and History. Drawing on their national professional associations, the authors explore the processes of academic institutionalization in both cases, though putting emphasis on the German Sociological Association (DGS). The authors identify significant differences between the histories of the DGS and the German Historical Association (VHD), which have had mayor impact on their organizational forms and functions. The institutionalization of history started already with the Enlightenment and limited the functions of the VHD mostly to the organization of annual conferences. Sociology, in contrast, was – although embedded in transnational and interdisciplinary networks – still not academically established in the German Empire. The DGS, therefore, had to assume a wide range of tasks. In their further development the profiles of both academic associations have become more equal in some aspects while perpetuating the differences in others.

Deutscher Germanistenverband: An Academic Association in a Conflict of Objectives

From its inauguration in 1912 until 1933 the DGV resembled an ideological society successfully pursuing anti-modern nationalistic goals in the area of educational and school policy with modern methods. At best, it might be said to have only marginally fulfilled the role of an academic association for the field of study. While it did not actively seek to join the National Socialist movement, it did not resist it either. Only since its annually held conference in966 has the DGV started to deal with its past and subsequently reformed the association’s activities rigorously to become a modern academic association. What remains problematic today, is the fact that the DGV represents both the interests of German scholars from higher education and those of school teachers of German – which in fact frequently diverge from each other – and therefore, due to internal differentiation, is in danger of being reduced to being an umbrella association.

The institutionalization of American Studies as an interdisciplinary academic field was a reaction to a specific academic and social context within the United States. The American Studies Association (ASA) was founded in 1951 and emerged as an essential component in the professionalization of the discipline because of three relevant factors: The academic society was based on existing networks. Moreover, it secured financial resources through its popularization and higher education politics to establish an effectively running organization. But this process of shaping and normalizing the discipline finally led to exclusions whereby non-academic American Studies scholars, women and African-Americans were defined as marginal to the discipline. The consequences of this professionalization influenced American Studies and the ASA up to the 1970s