Historical Geography in Germany in the tension between basic research and practical orientation

Abstract

Until the 1960s the historical-genetic approach formed the core of geographical research in Germany. In the aftermath of a scientistic turning point of Geography in the 1970s some of its research questions were regarded as to less problem-oriented and socially irrelevant. In order to maintain the historical-genetic approach two strategies were pursued in Germany: An interdisciplinary strategy and a strategy oriented towards Geography.The former implied a certain independence of the historical-geographic working scholars from German Geography concerning their approach, field of work and organisation of research. This is epitomized by the foundation of the Working Group for Historical Cultural Landscape Research (ARKUM e.V.) in 1974 where the term ‘cultural landscape’, which was strongly questioned within Geography, still embraced space-oriented approaches from archaeology, history and historically oriented Geography. Since 1983, the results of this collaboration are published in the journal Siedlungsforschung – Archäologie – Geschichte – Geographie (‘Settlement Research – Archaeology – History – Geography’).The latter, towards Geography oriented strategy, aimed and still aims to maintain especially the historical-genetic approach within Geography. Unlike the Anglo-American Geography, German Historical Geography did not invoke Social Geography. It rather upheld an understanding oriented towards the materiality of cultural landscapes which was evolutionarily connected to classic research approaches. This formed also the basis for the constitution of Applied Historical Geography, conducted particularly in conjunction with heritage preservation. In that respect, issues of environmental education play a central role.Nowadays, this tension between basic research and application-oriented research is prevalent for the work of Historical Geography in Germany.