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History of the IEG

Exhibition about the history of the Leibniz Institute of European History:
"From the Cold War to the transformation of Europe. The Institute of European History, 1950–1990"



The exhibition can be seen both as a panel exhibition in the conference room of the IEG (visit on request) and online as a virtual exhibition online. It goes into detail about the development of the Institute of European History from its foundation in 1950 during the Cold War to the European upheaval of 1989/1990.

Five years after the end of the Second World War, the Institute of European History was founded in Mainz in 1950. At the end of 1952, the institute could move into the Domus Universitatis, which was rebuilt for this purpose. At its establishment the French and US-American military governments collaborated with the young state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The French promoted facilities that helped the “re-education“ of Germans towards democracy as well as a rapprochement with France. The USA also endorsed institutions that should strengthen the young democracy in Western Germany. Rhineland-Palatinate assumed sponsorship and eventually financing. The new institute was to research the conflict-ridden historical development of Europe and thus to, in a scholarly way, work towards peace and understanding in Europe.

The exhibition pursues the founding history of the institute, as well as its development over the course of four decades. It was disputed from the beginning what a peaceful Europe should be based on, and which conception of history the institute should be promoting in the federal republic. The presentation addresses, for example, how the insitute legitimised its “European Mission“ and how it dealt with the “burden” of National Socialism.

From the beginning the institute made a point of promoting young scholars from home and abroad. The international scholarship programme became a pillar of the IEG. Considering the housing shortage in Mainz during the post-war area it was natural that the institute building, apart from the library, conference room and offices also provided housing space for its academic guests and its two directors. Under the Domus Universitatis‘ roof work and life of the institutes’ inhabitants evolved, sometimes with struggles, into a joint venture.

How the institute established itself in the West German as well as the international scientific landscape and how, since the 1960s, it became a “window to the West” for scholars from the Eastern bloc is shown in the exhibition with the aid of historical documents and accounts of contemporary witnesses.

Former Directors at the Leibniz Institute of European History

Director, Department "Abendländische Religionsgeschichte" 2005–2022
Irene Dingel studied Protestant theology and Romance studies in Heidelberg and Paris. She received her doctorate in 1986 in Heidelberg, where she also completed her habilitation in 1993. Dingel was professor of historical theology at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main (1994-1998). From 1998 to 2022, she held a professorship in Church and Dogma History at the Faculty of Protestant Theology (FB01) at Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) Mainz. From 2005 to 2022, she served first part-time, and from 2008 full-time, as Director of the (Leibniz) Institute for European History in the Department of Occidental History of Religion. Her tenure included the establishment of an interdepartmental research program, which was followed by the Institute's admission to the Leibniz Association (2012). At the IEG, Irene Dingel was spokesperson of the DFG Research Training Group 1575 "The Christian Churches Facing the Challenge of 'Europe'" run with the JGU, co-principal editor of "EGO | Europäische Geschichte Online" and led, among others, the DFG project "Religious Peacekeeping and Peacemaking in Europe (1500-1800)", from which she developed the ongoing Academy long-term project "European Religious Peace Digital (EuReD)".

Literature/Online Sources:
https://d-nb.info/gnd/111186870
https://www.adwmainz.de
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Irene Dingel | Evangelisch-Theologische Fakultät (uni-mainz.de)

Prof. Dr. phil. Dr. h.c. Heinz Duchhardt (* 1943)
Director, Department "Universalgeschichte" 1994–2011

 
Heinz Duchhardt studied history, political science and art history in Mainz, Bonn and Vienna. In 1968 he gained his PhD in Mainz with a dissertation on an elector of Mainz in the 18th century. He got his habilitation in 1974. He was professor for modern history at the universities of Mainz, Bayreuth and Münster. 1994 – 2011 he was director of the department "Universalgeschichte" at the IEG. In 2011 he received an honorary doctorate from the University Smolensk, in 2016 an honorary doctorate from the St. Kliment Ohridski University Sofia.
With his focus on the international relations in the pre-modern period, constitutional and social history of the Holy Roman Empire, fundamental research on European themes he made decisive contributions to the institute’s development. Among other things he established the "European History Yearbook" and managed projects like the online publication of around 1.800 "European Peace Treaties of the Pre-Modern Era Online". Furthermore, under his direction, the preparations for the admission of the IEG as a member of the "Leibniz Association" where made.

Literature/Online Sources:
http://d-nb.info
http://www.adwmainz.de
http://www.maxweberstiftung.de

Prof. Dr. theol. Gerhard May (1940–2007)
Director, Department "Abendländische Religionsgeschichte" 1994–2004

 
Gerhard May studied evangelical theology, philosophy and byzantine studies in Vienna, Heidelberg, Basel and Oxford. In 1964 he gained his PhD with a dissertation titled "Gregor von Nyssa und der Abschluß des trinitarischen Dogmas". He got his habilitation in Munich with a paper on "Schöpfung aus dem Nichts. Die Entstehung der Lehre von der creatio ex nihilo". In between his doctoral degree studies and habilitation, he went on a long research trip to Oxford and was ordinated Pastor of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria.
Afterwards May was a member of the academic staff at the department of evangelical theology at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (1979-2005) and at the same time took the post of director of the department "Abteilung für Abendländischen Religionsgeschichte" at the IEG (1994-2005).
His research focused on analyzing the encounter between ancient thinking and Christian theology, as well as on politics of church and empire. 

Literature/ Online Sources:
http://www.deutsche-biographie.de
http://d-nb.info
http://www.ev.theologie.uni-mainz.de


Prof. Dr. Gustav Adolf Benrath (1931–2014)
Director, Department "Abendländische Religionsgeschichte" 1990–1993

 
1952- 1957 Gustav Adolf Benrath studied evangelical theology in Heidelberg, where he also gained his PhD in 1959. 1960-1962 he was a member of the academic staff at the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences.
Afterwards, he was appointed a lectureship for church history of Baden at the Theological Institute of the Heidelberg University (1961-1972) und got his post-doctoral degree in church history in 1965. In 1970, Benrath received priestly ordination at the evangelical church in Baden and was afterwards professor of church and dogma history at the department of evangelical theology at the Mainz University (1970-1997). Between 1990 and 1993 he was director of the department of "Abendländische Religionsgeschichte" at the IEG.
http://www.ieg-mainz.de.
 
Prof. D.Dr. Peter Manns (1923–1991)
Director, Department "Abendländische Religionsgeschichte" 1981–1990

 
Peter Manns studied theology in Würzburg, Bonn and Mainz and received his priestly ordination in 1951. At the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, where he got his PhD, he was a student and later member of the academic staff of Joseph Lortz, the co-founder of the Institute of European History.
In 1981 he succeeded Peter Meinhold as director of the department "Abendländische Religionsgeschichte" at the IEG. His research focused on Martin Luther and the reformation. In 1983, in recognition for his research, Peter Mann received an honorary doctorate from the theology department of the Helsinky University.
 
Literature/ Online Sources:
http://www.deutsche-biographie.de
http://d-nb.info/gnd/119155192
Aretin, Karl Otmar von [u.a.], Zum Gedenken an Peter Manns (1923-1991). Mainz 1991 (Institut für Europäische Geschichte. Abteilung Abendländische Religionsgeschichte). S.8.​

Prof. Dr. Peter Meinhold ( 1907–1981)
Director, Department "Abendländische Religionsgeschichte" 1976–1981

 
Peter Meinhold studied evangelical theology in Bethel und Berlin. He received his licentiate in 1934 and gained his PhD in 1935 at the University of Berlin. Afterwards, he worked as a private lecturer and was later appointed a lectureship at the Heidelberg University (1935/1936). He worked as an associate professor and after the war as an ordinary professor in Kiel. (1936-1975).
During the Second World War, he worked as an army priest. In 1955 he received an honorary doctorate from the Marburg University. In 1976 he succeeded Joseph Lortz as director of the department "Abendländische Religionsgeschichte" at the IEG.

Literature/ Online Sources:
http://www.deutsche-biographie.de
http://d-nb.info

Prof. Dr. Karl Otmar Freiherr von Aretin (1923–2014)
Director, Department "Universalgeschichte" 1968–1994


In 1946, Karl Otmar Freiherr von Aretin started studying history and art history at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, where he gained his PhD with a dissertation about Bavarian politics and the Congress of Vienna. He then worked as an editor for the NDB (1952-1957) and was a research fellow at the IEG Mainz (1953-1958). Afterwards, he was a member of the academic staff at the Max-Planck-Institute for history in Göttingen (1958-1964) and got his habilitation in 1962 with a paper on the Holy Roman Empire.  1964-1988 he was professor at the TU Darmstadt.
1968 he succeeded Martin Göhrings and held the office as director of the department "Universalgeschichte" at the IEG till 1994.

Literature/ Online Sources:
http://www.deutsche-biographie.de
http://d-nb.info

Prof. Dr. phil. Martin Göhring (1903–1968)
Director, Department “Universalgeschichte“ 1951–1968


1927 - 1928 Martin Göhring studied geography, german studies, history and philosophy in Tübingen. From 1928-1932 he continued his studies in Paris, Halle und Kiel, where he gained his PhD in 1932 with a dissertation titled "Die Feudalität in Frankreich vor und in der großen Revolution". After a several years long research trip to France, Göhring got his habilitation at the Kiel University in 1938 with a paper titled "Die Ämterkäuflichkeit im Ancien Régime". Afterwards, he worked as a lecturer in Halle (1939-1940), as member of staff at the Federal Foreign Office in Paris (1940-1943), as professor at the Reichsuniversität Straßburg (1943-1944) and as lecturer at the University in Tübingen (1945-1947). In 1951 Martin Göhring took the post of director at the department of "Universalgeschichte" at the IEG. At the same time, he was guest professor at the University of Suttgart (1948-1960) and professor at the University of Gießen (1961-1968).

Literature/ Online Sources:
http://gutenberg-biographics.ub.uni-mainz.de
http://www.deutsche-biographie.de
http://d-nb.info

Joseph Adam Lortz (1887–1975)
Director, Department "Abendländische Religionsgeschichte" 1950–1975


907-1911 Joseph Adam Lortz studied theology and philosophy at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rom and at the University Fribourg 1911-1913. 1910 he gained his PhD at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rom and 1920 at the Bonn University. 1923 he got his habilitation at the Würzburg University with a paper on Tertullian’s Apologetics. He worked as a private lecturer at the Würzburg University (1926-1929), was professor at the "Staatlichen Akademie zu Braunsberg" (1929-1935), at the Münster University (1935-1950) and at the Mainz University (1950-1956).  He co-founded the IEG and was director of the department of "Abendländische Religionsgeschichte" from 1950-1975.

Literature/ Online Sources:
http://gutenberg-biographics.ub.uni-mainz.de
http://www.deutsche-biographie.de
http://d-nb.info

Prof. Dr. phil. Fritz Max Friedrich Ludwig Kern (1884-1950)
Director, Department "Universalgeschichte" 1950 


Fritz Max Friedrich Ludwig Kern studied law in Lausanne and history in Tübingen and Berlin 1903 - 1906. In 1906 he gained his PhD in Berlin with a paper about "Dorsualkonzept und Imbreviatur. Zur Geschichte der Notariatsurkunde in Italien". He then worked as a private lecturer in Kiel (1909-1914) and was professor at the Universities of Frankfurt am Main (1914-1922) and Bonn (1922-1947). In addition to his lectureships, he worked as a volunteer for the Federal Foreign Office and at a secret service branch of the german army (1914-1918). After his involvement in a Berlin resistance group 1944, he lived in Switzerland until 1948.
In the Years from 1949 to 1950 he played a decisive role in planning and developing the "Mainzer Instituts für Kultur- und Religionsgeschichte" (later called  Leibniz Institute of European History). Until his death in 21th Mai 1950, he was director of the department for "Universalgeschichte."

Literature/ Online Sources:
http://www.deutsche-biographie.de
http://d-nb.info