On the surface, historical scholarship might seem thoroughly incompatible with political engagement: the ideal historian, many imagine, is a disinterested observer focused exclusively on the past. In truth, however, political action and historical research have been deeply intertwined for as long as the historical profession has existed. In this insightful collection, practicing historians analyze, reflect on, and share their experiences of this complex relationship. From the influence of historical scholarship on world political leaders to the present-day participation of researchers in post-conflict societies and the Occupy movement, these studies afford distinctive, humane, and stimulating views on historical practice and practitioners

Stefan Berger has directed the Institute for Social Movements at the Ruhr University Bochum and served as the Chairman of the History of the Ruhr Foundation since 2011. Since 2016 he has been Honorary Professor at Cardiff University in the UK. Previously he held the position of Professor of Modern German and Comparative European History at the University of Manchester.