Welcome to the website of the History of Concepts Group! Founded in 1998, the HCG is dedicated to the promotion of research and research training in the history of concepts.
This is done through three main activities:
- A yearly conference
- The publication of the journal Contributions to the History of Concepts (2006-2009 with Brill, since 2010 with Berghahn Publishers)
- The training of young scholars in two summer schools, one in Helsinki and one in Latin America (rotating sites) and in research seminars.
On this website, you will find extensive bibliographic resources to kick-start your conceptual history project. We welcome information about new publications and events related to conceptual history.
Recent Publications
Latest Issue of the Contributions to the History of Concepts
Volume 17 (2022): Issue 2 (December 2022)
Stefan-Ludwig Hoffmann: Der Riss in der Zeit. Kosellecks ungeschriebene Historik (2023) see further
Kirill Postoutenko (ed.): Beyond 'Hellenes' and 'Barbarians". Asymmetrical Concepts in European Discourse (2023) see further
Jani Marjanen, Johan Strang und Mary Hilson (eds.): Contesting Nordicness - From Scandinavianism to the Nordic Brand (2022) open access
Francisco A. Ortega, Rafael Enrique Acevedo Puello, Pablo Casanova Castañeda (eds.): Horizontes de la historia conceptual en Iberoamérica. Trayectorias e incursiones (2021) see further
Kari Palonen: Politik als parlamentarischer Begriff -
Perspektiven aus den Plenardebatten des Deutschen Bundestags (2021) see further
Javier Fernández Sebastián: Historia conceptual en el Atlántico ibérico - Lenguajes, tiempos, revoluciones (2021) see further
Silke Schwandt (ed.): Digital Methods in the Humanities - Challenges, Ideas, Perspectives (2020) open access
Berghahn Series
European Conceptual History
Editorial Board:
Michael Freeden, University of Oxford
Diana Mishkova, Centre for Advanced Study Sofia
Javier Fernández-Sebastián, Universidad del País Vasco, Bilbao
Willibald Steinmetz, University of Bielefeld
Henrik Stenius, University of Helsinki
The transformation of social and political concepts is central to understanding the histories of societies. This series focuses on the notable values and terminology that have developed throughout European history, exploring key concepts such as parliamentarianism, democracy, civilization, and liberalism to illuminate a vocabulary that has helped to shape the modern world.