Anthology on the History of Social Sciences at the University of Hamburg

The work group History of Social Sciences consists of a group of students at the Department of of Social Sciences, which has been established on the occasion of the centenary of the University of Hamburg. Our motivation is to contribute to a deeper understanding and critical self-conception of (social) science, its societal role and its local and institutional embedding within the university and the city by assessing the history of our department and courses of study.

During the anniversary year 2019, we have thus organized a two-semester student seminar, in which we have done our own research on the history of social sciences in Hamburg in different archives. The results were presented in an exhibition „Politics and Society at the Horse Stable – The History of Social Sciences at the University of Hamburg“, which consists of 15 boards and is permanently presented at Allende-Platz 1 (Horse Stable).

While working on the exhibition, we have dealt with different topics, which have been extensively worked on and examined by individual participants of the seminar. We intend to publish the results of this research in scientific articles as an anthology on the history of the university and disciplinary history of social sciences in Hamburg. In order to facilitate free access to the disciplinary and university public to this anthology, we would like to publish a printed version and as Open-Access digital version.

The envisaged anthology will have two parts: on the one hand the volume shall document the exhibition in a layout that fits with the book size and on the other hand contain the deeper research contributions on the history of social sciences in Hamburg. It will include articles on political science research before the establishment of the discipline during the Weimarer Republic, on the sociology of big cities by Andreas Walther during National Socialism, on the beginnings of the discipline of political science in Hamburg and its self-conception as teaching on democratic governance, on the guest residence of the post-colonial scientists Walter Rodney at the University of Hamburg, on feminist (especially student) women groups at the Institute for Political Science as well as on the research and teaching of the Hamburg AKUF.

The scientific quality assurance of the anthology will be supported by several professors and scientific staff, who will survey the contributions.

Our projekt aims at motivating other students and members of the university to look into the history of the university and their own discipline. A more exact understanding for the historical development and of the der disciplinary and institutional structure, which surround us every day as university members, may create an awareness that the university and studies are not something unchangeable, but always are part of an interplay of numerous societal and political factores, actors and nnterests and thus may in general be influenced by individual actions.

Student research group

• Lennard Riebe
• Laura Six

Mentor

• Prof. Dr. Olaf Asbach