Association of Historians in Germany

The Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlands e. V., commonly abbreviated VHD and often referred to in English as the Association of Historians in Germany, is the principal professional organization representing historians working in Germany. It was founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1895 as the Verband Deutscher Historiker, following an earlier meeting of German historians and educators in Munich in 1893. The original gathering was prompted in part by opposition to a Prussian history curriculum that was seen as excessively nationalistic and politically restrictive. From its beginnings, the association combined professional self-organization with public discussion about the teaching, interpretation, and social role of history. The VHD’s charter assigns it responsibility for supporting historical scholarship, representing German historians in public life, and maintaining links with the international historical community. It is not a commercial brand or a university, but a membership organization serving academic and professional historians. The association has more than 3,000 members and is generally described as Germany’s largest association of full-time historians. Its activities include professional representation, academic networking, support for early-career researchers, public communication, and engagement with education and science policy. The organization’s best-known undertaking is the biennial Tag der Geschichtswissenschaft, historically known as the Historikertag or Historians’ Conference. Organized in cooperation with Germany’s history teachers’ association and hosted by different universities, the event brings together more than 2,500 participants from universities, research institutes, archives, schools, and related institutions. It includes specialist sections, lectures, panel discussions, working groups, exhibitions, and city- or theme-specific programs. The event is widely regarded as Germany’s largest humanities conference and one of Europe’s largest professional history conferences. Its scale gives the VHD a visible role in shaping debates within the discipline and in presenting historical scholarship to the wider public. The VHD is governed by a board of approximately twenty members, supplemented by selected and delegated representatives. Delegates may come from the Association of German History Teachers, the Association of German Archivists, and the General Association of German Historical and Antiquarian Societies. Board members are selected in connection with the biennial conference and may serve for a maximum of six years. The board determines conference venues and sections and selects recipients of the association’s research prizes. The executive leadership consists of a chair, deputy chair, secretary, and treasurer. The association’s activities cover a broad range of historical fields. Its expert working groups address applied and public history, world regional and global history, digital historical studies, early modern history, international history, state history, the history of childhood, and social data and contemporary history. Through these groups and through participation in international bodies, the VHD helps connect German historical research with broader methodological, digital, and transnational developments. It represents Germany on the International Committee of Historical Sciences and is a co-applicant in NFDI4Memory, a major initiative concerned with the digital infrastructure and future of historical research. The VHD also awards prizes for outstanding scholarship. The Hedwig Hintze Prize recognizes an exceptional dissertation in historical studies. The Carl Erdmann Prize honors an outstanding habilitation. The Peter Haber Prize, presented with the German Historical Institute Paris and the Digital Historical Studies Working Group, recognizes important work in digital history. The prizes support scholarly excellence and give visibility to emerging researchers. The association’s history reflects the institutional and political divisions of twentieth-century Germany. It continued under a nationally oriented conception of historical consciousness after its re-establishment in 1949, while a separate Historiker-Gesellschaft der DDR was created in East Germany in 1958. The two institutional traditions were brought together at the Unification Historians’ Conference in Bochum in September 1990. The VHD later became more explicit in public political debate: in September 2018 it adopted a resolution addressing contemporary threats to democracy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 historians’ conference was held digitally, demonstrating the association’s capacity to adapt its central event to new circumstances. Since 2025, the VHD has been chaired by the Bielefeld historian Antje Flüchter.

The VHD traces its institutional origins to the First Meeting of German Historians, held in Munich at Easter 1893. Historians and educators gathered partly in response to a Prussian curriculum introduced in 1892 that, under the influence of Kaiser Wilhelm II, was perceived as steering history teaching toward nationalism and opposition to socialism. In 1895, the Verband Deutscher Historiker was founded in Frankfurt am Main, with Ludwig Quidde among those associated with its creation. School-related questions remained secondary within the new body, and history teachers subsequently founded their own national association in 1913. Before the First World War, the association’s leadership included historians from both Germany and Austria. Its chairs represented a range of specialties, particularly medieval and modern history. The organization continued through the interwar period, but during the National Socialist era its leadership was first held by Karl Brandi, from 1932 to 1937, and then by Walter Platzhoff, who remained chair until 1945. This period forms part of the wider history of German historical scholarship under dictatorship and has influenced later reflection on the profession’s institutional past. A committee including Gerhard Ritter, Hermann Heimpel, Hermann Aubin, and Herbert Grundmann initiated the association’s revival in late 1948. A re-established Historians’ Association was formally created in 1949 under Ritter’s chairmanship and adopted a new postwar institutional identity. In its early Federal Republic period, it continued to emphasize a conception of German historical consciousness framed in national terms. Until the middle of the 1950s, it could still present itself as a pan-German organization. The institutional division of German historical studies became clearer in 1958, when historians in East Germany established the Historiker-Gesellschaft der DDR as a separate organization. The divided existence of organized historical scholarship ended with the Unification Historians’ Conference in Bochum in September 1990. In the decades that followed, the VHD increasingly addressed the pluralization and internationalization of historical research, the professional position of historians, public history, digital methods, and the relationship between scholarship and democratic society. Since 1988, chairs have generally served four-year terms, with one exception. The first woman to lead the association was elected in 2016, when Eva Schlotheuber became chairwoman. The organization’s official name, which explicitly includes male and female historians, reflects the profession’s ongoing discussion of inclusion, although the historical membership and leadership record remained male-dominated for much of the association’s existence. Institutional professionalization continued in the twenty-first century. On 1 October 2009, the VHD opened an office at the University of Frankfurt’s Campus Westend. The association represents German historians within the International Committee of Historical Sciences and participates in collaborative initiatives concerning the future of the discipline. It is a co-applicant in NFDI4Memory, a major project intended to develop digital research infrastructure and strengthen historians’ role in shaping digital historical scholarship. The VHD’s central public activity is its biennial national conference. Historically called the Historikertag, it is now known as the Tag der Geschichtswissenschaft. The event rotates among German universities and brings together thousands of participants through lectures, specialist sections, panels, working groups, and public programs. It also provides the setting for several research prizes. In 2021, the conference was conducted digitally because the COVID-19 pandemic prevented a regular in-person meeting. The VHD has also used its institutional voice in public affairs: on 27 September 2018, it passed a resolution concerning contemporary threats to democracy, its first openly political positioning on current developments according to the reference account. Since 2004, the VHD has awarded the Hedwig Hintze Prize for outstanding dissertations and the Carl Erdmann Prize for outstanding habilitations. The Hedwig Hintze Prize commemorates a Jewish modern historian who fled Germany in 1939 and died in exile in the Netherlands under circumstances that remain unclear. The Carl Erdmann Prize honors a medieval historian known for opposing National Socialism. Since 2021, the Peter Haber Prize has recognized outstanding digital-history projects in cooperation with the German Historical Institute Paris and the Digital Historical Studies Working Group. Through these awards, conferences, expert groups, publications, and policy representation, the VHD continues to function as a central professional institution for historians in Germany.

• 2025

  Conference renamed in English-facing description

  [1]Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The association’s major biennial event is described as the Tag der Geschichtswissenschaft; it had previously been known as the Historikertag.

• 2021

  First digital Historians’ Conference

  [1]Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The biennial conference is held digitally because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 2018

  Democracy resolution adopted

  [1]Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The VHD adopts a resolution addressing contemporary threats to democracy.

• 2016

  First woman elected as chairwoman

  [1]Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandsen.wikipedia.org

  Eva Schlotheuber becomes the first woman to lead the association.

• 2009

  Professional office opened

  [1]Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The association opens an office at Campus Westend of Goethe University Frankfurt.

• 2004

  Hedwig Hintze and Carl Erdmann prizes introduced

  [1]Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The VHD begins awarding prizes for outstanding dissertations and habilitations in historical studies.

• 1990

  Unification Historians’ Conference

  [1]Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The Bochum conference ends the long institutional division between organized historical studies in East and West Germany.

• 1958

  Separate East German historians’ organization established

  [1]Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The Historiker-Gesellschaft der DDR is founded, formalizing a separate institutional path for historians in East Germany.

• 1949

  Postwar re-establishment

  [1]Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The association is revived under Gerhard Ritter after preparatory work by a committee of historians.

• 1913

  History teachers form a separate association

  [1]Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandsen.wikipedia.org

  School teachers establish their own organization because scholastic concerns had remained secondary within the historians’ association.

• 1895

  Association founded in Frankfurt

  [1]Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The Verband Deutscher Historiker, predecessor of the modern VHD, is established in Frankfurt am Main.

• 1893

  First Meeting of German Historians

  [1]Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandsen.wikipedia.org

  Historians and educators meet in Munich in response to controversy over the direction of Prussian history education.

A national professional association and public representative for historians in Germany, combining scholarly networking, disciplinary advocacy, conference organization, and support for historical research.

• Academic conference · 1893

  Tag der Geschichtswissenschaft

  The VHD’s central biennial event, formerly known as the Historikertag, is hosted by different German universities and brings together more than 2,500 participants. Its program combines scholarly sections, lectures, panels, working groups, networking, and public activities. It connects university historians with researchers from non-university institutes, archivists, teachers, and other professionals involved in historical knowledge.

• Research award · 2004

  Hedwig Hintze Prize

  An award for an outstanding dissertation in the broad field of historical studies. It was introduced in 2004 and is named after Hedwig Hintze, a Jewish modern historian who fled Germany in 1939. The prize is presented in connection with the association’s major conference and supports recognition of early-career scholarship.

• Research award · 2004

  Carl Erdmann Prize

  A prize recognizing an exceptional habilitation in historical studies. Introduced in 2004, it commemorates the medieval historian Carl Erdmann, identified in the reference material as an opponent of National Socialism. The award forms part of the VHD’s program of supporting advanced scholarly work.

• Digital-history award · 2021

  Peter Haber Prize

  A prize for outstanding work in digital historical studies, awarded by the VHD together with the German Historical Institute Paris and the Digital Historical Studies Working Group. Named for the Swiss historian Peter Haber, it recognizes projects that demonstrate the contribution of digital methods, data, or infrastructures to historical research.

• Member publication

  VHD-Journal

  An irregular informational publication for association members. Alongside conference reports and other publications, it provides a channel for organizational communication and discussion within the German historical profession.

• 2021Digital Historians’ Conference

  Germany · International academic community

  The VHD converted its main biennial professional gathering to a digital format when the COVID-19 pandemic made an in-person conference impossible.

  Outcome. The conference proceeded in online form and demonstrated the association’s ability to maintain scholarly exchange under pandemic conditions.

  Source
• 2018Resolution on contemporary threats to democracy

  Germany

  The VHD adopted a public resolution addressing present dangers to democracy. The initiative represented a more explicit intervention in current political developments than had traditionally characterized the association’s public role.

  Outcome. The resolution positioned the association openly in defense of democratic principles and public engagement by historians.

  Source
• NFDI4Memory participation

  Germany · International research community

  As a co-applicant in NFDI4Memory, the VHD participates in efforts to shape the digital infrastructure of historical studies and ensure that historians’ professional interests are represented in the digital transformation of research.

  Outcome. The association contributes disciplinary representation to a major digital-history infrastructure initiative.

  Source

• 2021

  Biennial conference moved onlineOther

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the normal public gathering of the Historians’ Conference.

  Action taken

  The VHD held its first digital Historikertag.

  Aftermath

  Academic exchange continued despite restrictions on large in-person events.

  Source

• 2018

  Public democratic-positioning resolutionStrategy

  Background

  The association addressed contemporary political developments and perceived threats to democratic life.

  Action taken

  On 27 September 2018, it passed a resolution on present threats to democracy.

  Aftermath

  The decision marked an openly political public position by the professional association.

  Source

• 2009

  Professional office establishedStrategy

  Background

  The association sought to strengthen its organizational professionalization and administrative capacity.

  Action taken

  It opened an office at Campus Westend of Goethe University Frankfurt on 1 October 2009.

  Aftermath

  The office provided a permanent institutional base for the association’s continuing work.

  Source

1. 1Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official website of the Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlandshistorikerverband.de