Thematic Orientation of the Journal

As successor of the journals „1999“ and „Sozial.Geschichte“, „Social History Online“ is particularly committed, first, to the critical historiography of National Socialism and second, to global labour history. The editorial board makes an effort to promote these research fields as far as possible. Research into National Socialism includes engagement with National Socialism’s antecedents and aftermath (e.g. anti-Semitism, nationalism, esotericism, the life reform movement); the journal also takes a special interest in the economic history of National Socialism. With regard to global labour history, the journal is particularly interested in the role of labour movements and organisations and in the conceptual and strategic debates that occurred within those movements and organisations.

Since its establishment as an online publication, the journal has furthermore been characterised by efforts to document and reflect upon the development of the ongoing world economic crisis and the social movements and protests associated with it. As a periodical published thrice yearly, the journal cannot provide up-to-date coverage of ongoing events. It focuses instead on background analysis and the identification of medium- and long-term prospects.

Other topics the editorial board takes a special interest in are: conflicts surrounding the European Union’s efforts to ward off immigration and conflicts over immigration in general; labour struggles within the field of precarious employment and labour struggles in general; self-organisation of workers in the BRICS states; the history of anti-authoritarian currents within the labour movement; conflicts surrounding urban development within and without Europe; the 20th century social history of Eastern Europe; social conflicts in contemporary Eastern Europe. This list makes no claim to completeness.

The journal is committed to taking as geographically broad as possible a view of historical and contemporary developments. The aim is not so much to arrive at a comprehensive overview of events the world over as to cultivate attention to developments in different regions and parts of the world. The journal welcomes comparative approaches and critical theoretical engagement with eurocentrism and methodological nationalism. The journal is open to approaches indebted to intellectual and/or cultural history, as well as to specialist research, e.g. in such fields as the history of medicine or the history of science.