Handbuch zur Geschichte Südosteuropas

The Handbuch zur Geschichte Südosteuropas (Handbook of the History of Southeast Europe) is a long-term project that began in the spring of 2010. The aim of the project is to create an academic compendium which is not only oriented toward meeting the requirements of historical research and university teaching, but which also addresses a readership beyond Southeast European studies. In fact, on the basis of a targeted overview of the state of research, the Handbook seeks to identify and help close research gaps and to provide impetus for future research. In doing so, a specific aspiration related to the content of the Handbook, designed as a socio-historical publication, is to examine the various historical and cultural interconnections between Southeast and other parts of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and the Middle East.

In total, seven volumes are currently in preparation covering the thematic areas of “Herrschaft und Politik” (Power and Politics), “Sprache und Kultur” (Language and Culture), and “Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft” (Economy and Society). Each of the topics is chronologically divided into “Premodernity” and “Modernity”, and the Handbook will also reflect on these eras. The use of this loose but problem-based periodization will also highlight the fact that the periodization patterns usually applied in Central and Western Europe tend to neglect the particularities of the historical development of Southeast Europe. “Pre-Modernity” therefore begins with the Roman imperial period, which is a novelty in Southeast European studies. This opens up new opportunities for the diachronic comparison of empires and the discourse on the continuing effects of the legacies of antiquity. The Handbook’s conceptual foundations are rooted in an interdisciplinary approach, which is primarily topic and problem oriented. The Handbook seeks to clarify questions rather than present a chronological succession of events.