Yearbook of Economic History
| Yearbook of Economic History
|
|
|---|---|
| description | Trade journal |
| Area of Expertise | Economic history |
| language | German, unknown language, English |
| publishing company | Academy publishing house |
| First edition | 1960 |
| Frequency of publication | 2 times a year |
| editor | Dieter Ziegler , Toni Pierenkemper †, Werner Plumpe , Reinhard Spree a . a. |
| executive Director | Dieter Ziegler |
| Web link | Publisher homepage |
| Article archive | Issues 1960–2000 |
| ISSN |
0075-2800 |
The Yearbook for Economic History ( JWG ) / Economic History Yearbook is an economic history journal. The origin of the magazine was in the GDR in 1960 and it was based on the Marxist-Leninist point of view. On a completely different basis, there was a new beginning in 1992.
Magazine profile in the time of the GDR
Goals and ideological orientation
Initially, the magazine was published by the Institute for History at the German Academy for Sciences in Berlin . In his preliminary remarks on the first edition, Karl Obermann defined the goal as: “ To publish valuable research results and studies, to spark scientific disputes and to ensure coordination and guidance in the field of economic history. " Jürgen Kuczynski added that" Marxism is the adequate scientific appropriation of the world. “Despite all openness to different approaches, he made the limits clear:“ But we always have to use the only and always correct method, the system of methods, the methodology of Marxism-Leninism. “The writing of economic history, which at that time had a minor character in West Germany, played a central role in historical studies against the background of the materialistic conception of history in the GDR.
Structure and content
The structure of the magazine remained comparable for decades. It appeared four issues a year. The main part consisted of five to 10 articles, depending on the scope. In a discussion area, shorter articles were published or statements on earlier articles were printed. In one area of literary criticism, books on a key topic were first discussed. More reviews followed. A special section includes work on the company's history. In a further part entitled Sources and Materials, contributions to archival holdings or sources were published directly. Meetings, conferences and research projects were also reported. These were mostly limited to the GDR and the socialist countries. A bibliography of new publications has also been published every year since 1972 . A separate bibliography was published for the company's history.
The articles were published in German. Foreign authors mostly came from the socialist countries. Essays by Western authors were a big exception. The yearbook was made accessible through index volumes. In addition, there were some special volumes on specific topics.
In terms of content, the essays covered the period from antiquity to the present. There were also no geographical restrictions. However, German economic history dominated. While there were still some polemical anti-Western contributions at the beginning, a tendency towards objectification began in the 1970s. The spectrum was expanded to include contributions to the economy and society of the socialist countries. Since 1977 the magazine has awarded the Rene Kuczynski Prize in honor of Robert René Kuczynski for the best annual contributions. The majority of the authors were already established scientists. Young scientists were relatively weakly represented.
Carl-Ludwig Holtfrerich judges that the yearbook contained a high level of theoretical and empirical economic historiography in the GDR within the framework of its ideological framework. It is particularly emphasized that many articles were based on the development of new primary sources , which were not readily available to Western historians at the time.
Realignment after the turnaround
After the fall of the Berlin Wall , the magazine was re-established in 1992 and oriented differently in terms of content and method. The magazine is published annually in one volume with one issue every six months from Akademie Verlag .
The rebuilding was particularly shaped by Toni Pierenkemper at the Cologne Seminar for Economic and Corporate History at the University of Cologne . Responsibility currently lies with the Chair of Economic and Corporate History at the Ruhr University in Bochum . Dieter Ziegler is the managing director.
In terms of content, the magazine mainly deals with economic history issues, but also includes related social and cultural history issues. Unlike before, the magazine is limited to the time since the 16th century. The geographical focus of the contributions is Europe and especially Germany.
Particular emphasis is placed on a comparative perspective. The magazine also sees itself as a discussion forum for the relevant specialist area. The theories, concepts or methods of economics and social sciences and the history of this scientific area are taken into account.
In the first part, one main topic is dealt with in each issue with several articles. A second part follows with essays on further topics. In addition, there are literature reports or reports on new research projects in a third part. The supplements to the yearbook have also been published since 2002. A review process decides whether the articles will be included in the journal.
literature
- Carl-Ludwig Holtfrerich: On the position and development of economic history in the GDR since 1960. The yearbook for economic history. In: Geschichte und Gesellschaft Issue 1 1982 pp. 145–153.