The didactics of history deals with the conditions, objectives and forms of teaching and learning history – in both school and non-school contexts. It examines how people perceive and interpret history, and how they use it to find their bearings in the present and the future.

The department focuses on historical education and interpretation processes in museums, memorial sites, heritage conservation, the media and other areas of historical culture. These are integrated into research and teaching, as well as through practical co-operations with museums and archives in the region, and are reflected upon as contributions to contemporary culture of remembrance.

In the training programmes for the various teaching qualifications, particular emphasis is placed on linking the theory of history didactics with practical learning and teaching experiences. In our seminars, in which we regularly involve practising teachers, students develop the ability to plan historical teaching and learning processes independently, to implement them during compulsory teaching placements, and to reflect on these with a view to their future careers.

Research into teaching practice provides important impetus for the further development of history teaching, in which not only the department’s staff but also the students participate through their final-year dissertations.