Research profile

The GHI Warsaw researches East-Central European history in its European and global context, focusing on Polish-German relations. It serves as a bridge for knowledge transfer between Europe's eastern and western regions and beyond. The branch offices in Vilnius and Prague institutionally support the regional focus. To analyze the region's complex historical and cultural interdependencies from the Middle Ages to the present, the Institute takes an interdisciplinary approach to historical research. Projects are issue-oriented, thus allowing for a knowledge transfer beyond the region.

The question of where “East-Central Europe” is located is always historically specific – it is more a matter of mental maps than clearly defined political borders. Along those lines, regional points of reference were often (culturally) more formative for the region’s inhabitants than state entities. Against this background, research at the GHI Warsaw contributes to overcoming traditional national historiography.

Methodologically, historical research at the GHI Warsaw is inspired by cultural studies and focuses on historicizing anthropological concepts such as violence, space, migration, and memory. In addition, GHI scholars research characteristics of East-Central Europe, such as its multi-confessional and multi-ethnic nature. The enduring presence of the Jewish population in the region deserves particular attention. Another major focus is the academic study of the Second World War, the German occupation of Poland, and the Holocaust, as well as the memory of these events.

By embedding its researchers in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania, the GHI Warsaw contributes, on the one hand, to reverse the direction of dominant flows of knowledge transfer, conveying academic findings on East-Central European history to the German and international research landscape. At the same time, the Institute's geographical location provides an external perspective on German history. The knowledge gained in East-Central Europe thus gives new impetus to global historiography. The Institute works closely with Polish institutions dealing with similar issues and explicitly seeks collaborations and associated grant-funded projects. Similarly, the GHI Warsaw uses its three locations to create a productive and sustainable academic exchange with historians in Poland and neighboring countries.

The GHI Warsaw primarily supports researchers in their postdoctoral careers who carry out their projects at the Institute. In addition, it regularly awards scholarships for research stays in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania, as well as internships for students. The Institute’s library is open to the public. It offers holdings on the history of East-Central Europe, primarily international literature and professional journals. In addition, it provides access to the electronic collections of all institutes of the Max Weber Foundation, linking it to a network distinct from other libraries in Warsaw.