The AHF – Historische Bibliographie

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft historischer Forschungseinrichtungen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (AHF) is a network of historical research institutions. Its principal tasks are the representation of common interests of the constituent institutions and the intensification of scholarly collaboration, particularly in the documentation and communication of historical research in Germany. The AHF was founded in 1972 and obtained its legal status as a registered organization in 1979. Its pursuits are strictly non-profit, its members institutions, not affiliated with a university, that conduct or promote historical research. The AHF is primarily funded by the Bavarian State Ministry for Science, Research and the Arts.

Since its founding, the documentation of historical writing has been one of the basic functions of the AHF. The editorial staff brings long experience and particular competence to this task. The AHF publishes the Historische Bibliographie Historical Bibliography (Bibliography) and Jahrbuch der historischen Forschung Yearbook of Historical Research (Yearbook) as online services (http://www.historische-bibliographie.de). The two databases facilitate comprehensive inquiries of specialized books and articles. The collection of titles in the Yearbook and Bibliography is essentially an exhibition of historical research in Germany. It shows what German historians, from Prehistory to Contemporary History, are preparing for publication or have already published on German, European, and non-European history.

The Yearbook documents historical literature, originating from German research institutions within and outside of academia, that is not yet published. It lists around 10.000 titles annually. 

The online Bibliography documents currently published historical literature from 1990 onward. It is updated regularly, and currently lists over 265.000 titles.

The Yearbook and the Historical Bibliography are based on data acquisition, which relies on the cooperation of more than 1000 research establishments. It is not just AHF members who contribute; most of the institutes are university-affiliated. Via an online editorial system developed especially for this purpose, they transmit information on their ongoing and recently completed works to the AHF's staff, who administer the database, process the data, and put it online. Thus the documentation is essentially the product of a network of participating research institutions. The existence of the titles in the Yearbook, the itemisation of historical works in progress, depends entirely on the information we receive from the contributing institutes. As soon as a title is declared completed, it leaves the Yearbook and is entered into the Historical Bibliography. The list of titles in the Historical Bibliography, i.e. the itemisation of published historical works, is supplemented by the editorial staff. For this purpose numerous journals and compilations are evaluated and the AHF is supported by the Bavarian State Library in Munich - a member institute -, which continually transmits newly-received titles to the AHF in the form of records that can be read directly into our database.

The Yearbook and Bibliography offer a comprehensive look at German historical scholarship. Every year the previous year’s stored data is published in a print version by Oldenbourg Verlag, which also holds the online-license for the database.
 

Arbeitsgemeinschaft historischer Forschungseinrichtungen 

in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland e.V. (AHF)

Schellingstraße 9

D - 80799 München

Telefon: +49 (089) 13 47 29

Fax: +49 (089) 13 47 39

E-Mail:

Internet: www.ahf-muenchen.de