Historical Studies

In recent decades historical studies have experienced - both nationally and internationally, as well as in content and method - an enormous expansion. In addition to political history, the history of ideas, economic and social history we now have the history of the material culture of everyday life, of mentality and of the media; in addition to the history of nations and of epochs, we now have a structural history of nations, cities, and particular social groups which moves across national borders; and macro-history has been joined by so-called micro-history. This process of expansion and differentiation that has, on occasion, led to disciplinary independence (which is why the name of this discipline is increasingly used in the plural), has been accompanied by a wealth of methodological innovations and shifts in perspective which have often overstepped the bounds of the original object of study and led to further-reaching conclusions.

The Fritz Thyssen Stiftung accepts applications from all areas of historical studies. In the past, the Foundation paid special attention to the history of Central and Eastern Europe and to economic and social history, and will continue to do so in the future. But at the same time, a new priority area has been added: applications are invited for support of projects which deal with changes in the conditions of life as a result of the shift from a traditional to a modern society (that is, from the 18th century to the 20th century), and the affects of this shift on the various aspects of life - from everyday life, society and politics to changes in mentality and views of the world.