Kommission für die Geschichte der Deutschen in Polen

The Kommission für die Geschichte der Deutschen in Polen e. V. (Commission for the History of Germans in Poland) is a German scholarly association founded in 1950 in Marburg within the framework of the Johann Gottfried Herder-Forschungsrat. Originally named "Historisch-Landeskundliche Kommission für Posen und das Deutschtum in Polen," it traces its roots to the Historische Gesellschaft für die Provinz Posen, established in 1885. Since 1993 it has been an independent registered association (eingetragener Verein) with around 65–70 members from Germany, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Commission's work focuses on the regional history of the former Prussian Province of Posen (the Wielkopolska region of Poland), the history of the German minority in Poland (1918–1939) and its pre- and post-history, as well as German-Polish cultural and political relations. It organizes academic conferences, supports young scholars, and publishes several series. Since 2012 it awards the Arthur-Kronthal-Preis every two years for the best published work in its field. Its archive is deposited at the Herder-Institut in Marburg. The Commission is one of seven historical commissions that are corporate members of the Herder-Institut. It is entirely run by honorary (unpaid) officers. Its current chair (since 2017) is Prof. Isabel Röskau-Rydel. The Commission maintains a website at deutsche-polen.org and publishes a newsletter, Germano-Polonica.

The Commission for the History of Germans in Poland was founded in 1950 in Marburg as the "Historisch-Landeskundliche Kommission für Posen und das Deutschtum in Polen" within the framework of the Johann Gottfried Herder-Forschungsrat. Its roots go back to the "Historische Gesellschaft für die Provinz Posen," founded in 1885. After the formerly Prussian Province of Posen became part of the new Polish state after World War I, regional and historical research in this area was carried on by members of the German minority. The consequences of World War II largely interrupted historical research by members of the German minority in Poland. In 1950, the Historisch-Landeskundliche Kommission für Posen und das Deutschtum in Polen was founded within the Herder-Forschungsrat, becoming the center of this line of research in the Federal Republic of Germany. For a long time, however, it was scientifically of little importance and mainly a loose association of historically and locally interested people who wanted to preserve the memory of what had been materially lost. This included, among other things, the bibliographic recording of existing literature since the 1950s in a regional bibliography. The not numerous publications of the Commission were mostly in continuity with pre-war research. After the political changes of 1990, the Commission expanded its scholarly activities. It held several conferences, whose documentation reflects the state of research in the respective subject area. The 1999 conference was devoted to the general state of research. The 2005 conference dealt with urban history in the Polish territories in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the course of the restructuring of the Herder-Forschungsrat and the Herder-Institut, the Commission was legally transformed into an association. At the same time, a generational change took place, which is also reflected in the changed name. Since 1993 it has been an independent registered association with around 70 members in Germany, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Great Britain, and the USA. Today the Commission sees its task in historical, cultural, and regional research on regions in Poland and western Ukraine with historically German populations. Focus areas are the area of the former Province of Posen (Netzedistrikt and Greater Poland), Central Poland, Galicia, and Volhynia. In addition, research on the German minority in Poland in the interwar period and the German minority after 1945 is conducted. Furthermore, German-Polish relations in the fields of culture and politics are to be examined. Besides organizing academic conferences, the Commission supports young scholars. It also publishes several series. Within the newsletter 'Germano-Polonica', between 2011 and 2015, reviews of books in its field appeared annually, available online via recensio.net. Since 2012, the Commission has awarded the Arthur-Kronthal-Preis every two years for the best published work in its field, named after the German Posen city councillor Arthur Kronthal. The Commission is one of seven historical commissions that are corporate members of the Herder-Institut. It consists only of honorary (unpaid) members. Its archive is deposited in the document collection of the Herder-Institut Marburg, with the reference DSHI 120 HiKoPosPol, comprising about 6.25 linear meters of files and various estates. The Commission maintains a website at deutsche-polen.org and organizes annual conferences, often in cooperation with Polish and Austrian institutions.

• 2026

  Annual conference in Warsaw on women's movements in the partition areas of Poland-Lithuania.

• 2017

  Isabel Röskau-Rydel becomes chair.

• 2012

  Arthur-Kronthal-Preis established, awarded every two years.

• 2010

  Exhibition "Region und Nation" conceived for the 125th anniversary of the Historische Gesellschaft für die Provinz Posen and the 60th anniversary of the Commission.

• 2005

  Conference on urban history in the Polish territories in the 19th and 20th centuries.

• 1999

  Conference on the general state of research.

• 1993

  Commission becomes an independent registered association (e. V.).

• 1950

  Commission founded in Marburg as Historisch-Landeskundliche Kommission für Posen und das Deutschtum in Polen within the Herder-Forschungsrat.

• 1885

  Historische Gesellschaft für die Provinz Posen founded, a predecessor organization.

A scholarly historical commission dedicated to the history of Germans in Poland and German-Polish relations, operating as an independent non-profit association.

• Scholarly publication series

  The Commission publishes several series of scholarly works.

• Regional bibliography

  Bibliographic recording of literature on the history of Germans in Poland since the 1950s.

• Newsletter Germano-Polonica

  Newsletter that included book reviews between 2011 and 2015.

1. 1Herzlich willkommen auf unserer Homepage - Kommission für die Geschichte der Deutschen in Polen e. V.deutsche-polen.org
2. 2Vereinsgeschichte - Kommission für die Geschichte der Deutschen in Polen e. V.deutsche-polen.org
3. 3Nachrufe - Kommission für die Geschichte der Deutschen in Polen e. V.deutsche-polen.org
4. 4Vereinsarchiv - Kommission für die Geschichte der Deutschen in Polen e. V.deutsche-polen.org
5. 5Kommission für die Geschichte der Deutschen in Polen - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
6. 6Kommission für die Geschichte der Deutschen in Polen - Wikidatawikidata.org