Global History in a National Context: The Case of Germany

Abstract

The article distinguishes between various forms of macro-history. It analyses their respective representation in German historical scholarship during the twentieth century, with special emphasis on recent decades. Reasons for the prevalence of certain historiographical traditions over others and for the comparative weakness of world history and global history in contemporary Germany are being discussed. The article concludes with a brief sketch of several ongoing debates.

Keywords

• history of historiography
• philosophy of history
• transnational history
• world history
• twentieth-century Germany