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Linie 4: The Hohenzollern inheritance dispute and the ‘truths’ of history

Does historical scholarship provide an authentic picture of the past or does it offer different narratives of history, located somewhere between fiction and factuality? Jan Gräber addresses this question in the public lecture series Linie 4, organised by the BGHS together with the vhs Bielefeld. In his lecture “Which present does historical science produce? An examination of the Hohenzollern inheritance dispute”, he takes the example of the inheritance dispute between the Hohenzollerns and the state of Brandenburg, which is about castles, cultural assets, money and, not least, prestige. In the discussions about the inheritance dispute, in addition to the legal and political issues, the circumstance of the “considerable advance” is particularly prominent, i.e. the question of whether the Hohenzollerns played a significant role in the rise and maintenance of power of National Socialism. On this point of contention, history provides the essential and scientific expertise and accordingly helps to decide the Hohenzollerns' right to inherit. However, the dispute also makes it clear that it is not about a quick or even correct answer to historical questions. Rather, it proves to be a struggle for historical truth and its consequences for the present. This ultimately leads to the question of which present the science of history actually creates with its interpretations of history.

Jan Gräber studied history and political science at the University of Tübingen and is doing his doctorate in history at the BGHS on the topic of "The Contradictions of an Intervening History".

The lecture will take place on Monday, 20 June 2022 at 6.15 pm in the Murnau-Saal at the vhs Bielefeld , Ravensberger Park 1. The event will be held in German

Here you can find information about Linie 4 and the lectures in the series.