History of the early modern period

Welcome to the homepage of the Chair of Early Modern History!

The term "early modern period" is a fairly recent phenomenon. Today it refers to the broad transitional period from the end of the Middle Ages - marked by Gutenberg's media revolution in the 1450s, the opening up of the New World (Columbus 1492) and the beginning of the Reformation in 1517 - to the period of upheaval from 1750 to 1850, the caesuras of which can be seen as the Atlantic double revolution in America and France, but also the Industrial Revolution. Many of the foundations for modernity were laid during this period, which makes studying this era particularly exciting.

More detailed profile of the era

On the following pages you will find information about the courses, the chair holder Prof. Dr. Hannes Ziegler, the other members of the chair as well as research projects, conferences and workshops.

Important contact details can be found here.