Handbuch städtischer Geschichte

• About the Project

  The “Deutsches Städtebuch” (German Almanac of cities and towns) is considered a key work of reference in interdisciplinary urban history research, as it provides standardized and comparable data on the historical development of German and formerly German cities and towns. Published since the first half of the 20th century, the handbook systematically documents the development of cities, towns and municipalities. Each volume is organized by region and contains standardized articles on geographical location, historical development, administrative structure, demographic data, economic conditions, and cultural and architectural particularities.

  Its first edition was published in eleven volumes until 1974, sorted by five major geographical areas – Northeast Germany, Central Germany, Northwest Germany, Southwest Germany, Bavaria – and providing information on more than 2,300 towns and cities (some in neighbouring countries) within a uniform structure. With Volume V/1 (Bavaria), published in 1971, responsibility for the “Deutsches Städtebuch” was passed on to the Institute for Comparative Urban History.

  As the first edition, which is largely out of stock, does not reflect state-of-the art research, and especially the first volume, published in 1939 by Erich Keyser, is politically problematic, a new edition has been in the works since the late 1980s. Four new editions have been published so far: the “Silesian Town Book” (Schlesisches Städtebuch), the “Town Book of Brandenburg and Berlin” (Städtebuch Brandenburg und Berlin), the “Town Book of Hinterpommern” (Städtebuch Hinterpommern), and the “Town Book of Historical East Brandenburg” (Städtebuch Historisches Ostbrandenburg). The “Town Book of Historical East Brandenburg” was also the first volume of the entire series to be published also in an open access version (link to open access PDF file). The articles are also available as PDFs on the IStG website.

• Erich Keyser

  As the initiator and editor of the Deutsches Städtebuch, Erich Keyser (1893–1968) played a formative role in the institutionalization of German urban history research. At the same time, however, he is strongly tainted by his involvement in the academic system of Nazi Germany. He clearly supported revanchist and nationalist positions advocating a Greater Germany, particularly with regard to the historical legitimacy of German claims to the eastern territories of Europe. In his work, he combined urban historical research with populist territorial narratives, which makes the scientific objectivity of his work problematic in parts.

• The “Deutsches Städtebuch” is the standard reference work for local town history, comparative urban research, and urban planning. However, the volumes of the first edition are only available in a small number of libraries and are also difficult to use. For example, the volume “Norddeutschland” (Northern Germany), published in 1939, depicts the borders of the former German Reich and lists town names in German only.

  All volumes published to date are now being listed alphabetically for each city covered, supplemented by the current and historical town names, their GND, the respective region and the bibliographic details of the entry (author including GND, title of the entry, volume number, page number). This enables a cross-volume search for authors and town names in different languages, allowing for comparative urban research across national borders.

  Volumes I, II, III.1, III.2, III.3 and IV.1 have been compiled so far.

  Towns and Cities covered in the Deutsches Städtebuch

  • Tabellarische Übersicht

Publication of the First Edition

Deutsches Städtebuch. Handbuch städtischer Geschichte, hg. von Erich Keyser:

New Editions

On behalf of the Working Group of Historical Commissions and Regional History Institutes, and with the support of the Association of German Cities, the German Association of Towns and the German Association of Municipalities.

Classification Scheme of the Entries

• See the classification scheme of the entries