NACH OBEN

Prof. em. Dr. Chris Lorenz

E-mail:
cfg.lorenz@gmail.com

Telefonnummer:
0176 40783912

Funktion:
International Research Fellow

Forschungsschwerpunkte (Auswahl):

  • Theorie der Geschichte
  • Vergleichende Historiographiegeschichte
  • Bildungspolitik /Neoliberalismus / New Public Management
  • Historische Zeiten
  • Neo-Nationalismus / Populismus.

Beruflicher Werdegang:

Chris Lorenz ist ein niederländischer Geschichtstheoretiker /Historiographiehistoriker, der Soziologie, Anthropologie und Philosophie an der Universiteit van Amsterdam studiert hat und sich dort in 1987 in die Philosophie promovierte bei Theo de Boer und Frank Ankersmit (RUG). Nach kurzer Zeit als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter ‚Theoretische Soziologie‘ an der Universität Leiden gelehrt zu haben (1976-1978) wechselte er im Jahr 1978 als Mitarbeiter ‚Theorie der Geschichte‘ über zur Abteilung Geschichtswissenschaft an der Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, wo er bis 2015 lehrte und forschte. Zwischen 1989 und 2004 war er in Teilzeit daneben als Professor für Philosophie der Geschichte an die Abteilung Geschichtswissenschaft in Leiden aktiv  und  zwischen 2010 en 2013 lehrte er auch am Amsterdam University College (2010 – 2013). In 1995 wurde er mit einem Alexander von Humboldt Forschungspreis für die Geisteswissenschaften ausgezeichnet. Seit 2015 ist er als ‚international  research fellow‘ mit dem ISB in Bochum verbunden.

Forschungsprojekte (Auswahl):

  • Aktuell: Projekt ‘Aggressors: The Construction of National Enemy Images in Europe’ (2024 -2027), gefördert von der Benz Stiftung.
  • Abgeschlossen (2002 – 2010): European Science Foundation Projekt: ‘Representations of the Past: The Writing of National Histories in Europe’.

Weitere Informationen:
https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/fakultaeten/philosophie/zegk/histsem/forschung/project_aggressor_en.html

Publikationen

  • De constructie van het verleden. Een inleiding in de theorie van de geschiedenis, Boom Publishers: Meppel/Amster¬dam 1987, (351 p.); 2nd ed. 1990; 3rd ed. 1993; rev. and expanded  4th ed.  1994 (410 p.); rev. and expanded 5th ed.  1998 (400 p.); 6th. ed. 2002; 7th. ed 2004; 8th. ed. 2006; 9th. ed 2008).
  • Van het universitaire front geen nieuws, Ambo: Baarn 1993, 50 p. [All quiet on the university front].
  • Konstruktion der Vergangenheit. Eine Einführung in die Geschichtstheorie, Boehlau Publishers, Cologne/Weimar/Vienna 1997 (480 p, revised translation of De constructie van het verleden, Amsterdam/Meppel 1994). Rezensionen in u.a. Historische Zeitschrift, Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaft, Das Historisch-Politische Buch, German History, Geschichte und Gesellschaft, History and Theory and by H-SozuKult.
  • Entre Filosofía e Historia. Volumen 1: Exploraciones en Filosofía de la Historia, Prometeo Libros: Buenos Aires 2015. Introduction by Daniel Brauer, “La elusiva realidad del pasado histórico: presentación de la edición en español”. Chinese edition by Peking University Press, 2015; Polish edition by Wydawnictwo Poznañskie Publishers, Poznan 2009, 412 p.
  • Entre Filosofía e Historia. Volumen 2: Exploraciones en Historiografía, Prometeo Libros: Buenos Aires 2015. Introduction by Omar Acha, “Teoría de la historia e historia comparada de la historiografía: presentación del segundo volumen”. Chinese edition by Peking University Press, 2015; Polish edition by Wydawnictwo Poznañskie Publishers, Poznan 2009, 412 p

 

  • `Kritische geschiedwetenschap: een andere geschiedenis?', in: Brug,L. a.o.  (eds.), Geschiedenis en bevrijding. De bestudering van het verleden in de emancipatiestrijd van nu, Sjaloom: Nijmegen 1980, 170-187.
  • 'Geschiedbeoefening en geschiedfilosofie. Enkele kanttekeningen',in: F.R.Ankersmit a.o., Over nut en nadeel van de geschiedtheorie voor de historicus , Leiden 1988, 27-33.
  • `The view from anywhere (or: on facts, fiction, football, and an Indian). Some reflections on the (im)possibility of the writing of history', in: J. Denolf and B. Simons (eds.), [Re]constructing the Past. History as an Instrument, Keizer Karel: Brussels 2000, 411- 441.
  • ‘History, forms of representation and functions', in: Neil Smelser and Paul Baltus (eds.), International Encyclopaedia of the Social & Behavioural Sciences volume 10, 6835 –6842, Elsevier Publishers: Oxford 2001 (revised 2nd edition, 2015). In Chinese translation in: Shadong Social Sciences, No. 2, 2008.  
  • 'History, theories and methods', in: Neil Smelser and Paul Baltus (eds.), International Encyclopaedia of the Social & Behavioural Sciences volume 10, 6869 - 6876, Elsevier Publishers: Oxford 2001 (revised 2nd edition, 2015).  Chinese translation in: Chen Qineng (ed.), Lo(o)sing the Order of History, New History Salon, Shadong University Press, Nanking 2006,18-28.
  • 'Bordercrossings. Some reflections on recent debates in German history', in: Dan Michman (ed.), Remembering the Holocaust in Germany 1945 - 2000. German Challenges and Jewish Responses, Peter Lang: New York 2002, 59-95; in Spanish translation: ‚Encricijadas. Reflexiones acerca del papel de los historiodones alemanes en los debates publicos receintes sobre historia nazi’, in: Manuel Cruz and Daniel Brauer (eds.), La Comprehension del Pasado. Ecritos sobre filosofia de la historia, Barcelona 2005, 335-383. In Polish translation in: Przekraczanie Granic: Esejez filozofii historii i teorii historiografii, Poznan 2009.
  • ‘Towards a theoretical framework for comparing historiographies: Some preliminary considerations’, in: Peter Seixas (ed.), Theorizing Historical Consciousness, University of Toronto Press: Toronto 2004, 25 – 48 (2nd ed. in 2006).
  • Zweierlei Katastrophe. Über den Zusammenhang der Täter- und Opferrollen in der deutschen Geschichtsschreibung nach 1945’, in:  F. Jaeger and  J. Straub (eds.), Was ist der Mensch, was Geschichte? Annäherungen an eine kulturwissenschaftliche Anthropologie, Transkript Verlag: Bielefeld 2005, 279-299. Revised version in Dutch translation: ‘Twee soorten catastrofe. Over de verwevenheid van dader- en slachtofferrollen in de Duitse geschiedschrijving na 1945’, in: P. Dassen, T. Nijhuis and K. Thijs (eds.), Duitsers als slachtoffers. Het einde van een taboe?, Mets en Schilt: Amsterdam 2007, 173-217.
  • ‘Scientific/Critical Historiography’, in:  Aviezer Tucker (ed.), Blackwell Companion to Philosophy of History and Historiography, Blackwell: Oxford 2008, 398-408.
  • ‘Representations of Identity: Ethnicity, Race, Class, Gender and Religion. An Introduction to Conceptual History’. In: (co-editor Stefan Berger), The Contested Nation. Ethnicity, Religion, Class and Gender in National Histories, Palgrave Macmillan, Houndsmills 2008, 24-60.
  • ‘Drawing the line: “Scientific” History between Myth-making and Myth-breaking’, in: Stefan Berger, Linas Eriksonas and Andrew Mycock (eds), Narrating the Nation. Representations in History, Media and the Arts,  New York/Oxford 2008, 35-55. Italian translation: ‘La linea di confine. La Storia “scientifica” fra costruzione e decostruzione del mito‘, Quaderni Storici  121 (april 2006), nr.1, 289-311. In Polish translation in: Przekraczanie Granic: Esejez filozofii historii i teorii historiografii, Poznan 2009.
  • ‘Unstuck in Time. Or: the sudden presence of the past’, in: Karin Tilmans, Frank van Vree and Jay Winter (eds.), Performing the Past. Memory, History and Identity in Modern Europe, Amsterdam UP: Amsterdam 2010, 67-105. In Chinese translation: ‘From History to Memory: the Time –Space Construction of Modern Historiography and the Rise of Memory Studies’, in:  Shandong Social Sciences no.9, 2012, issue 205, 18-32.
  • ‚History and Theory’, in: Daniel Woolf and Axel Schneider (eds.), The Oxford History of Historical Writing, vol.5, Oxford UP: Oxford 2011, 13-35. Estonian translation: "Ajalugu ja teooria". Tuna, no. 4, 2013, pp. 94-107.
  • ‘Can a criminal event in the past disappear in a garbage bin in the present? Dutch colonial memory and human rights: the case of Rawagede’, in Marek Tamm (ed.), Afterlife of events: perspectives of mnemohistory, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014, 219-241.
  • ‚Der letzte Fetisch des Stamms der Historiker. Zeit, Raum und Periodisierung in der Geschichtswissenschaft’, in: Fernando Esposito (ed.), Zeitenwandel. Transformationen geschichtlicher Zeitlichkeit nach dem Boom, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht 2017, 63-92.
  • ‚Out of Time? Critical Reflections on Francois Hartog's Presentism’, in: Marek Tamm & Laurent Olivier (eds.), Rethinking Historical Time. New Approaches to Presentism, London: Bloomsbury Academic 2019, 23-43. In Russian translation in: Logos, vol.31, no.4. 2021, 31-65.
  • 'The Remarkable Persistence of the Spirit of the Dutch Nation. Contesting Dutch Identity in Contemporary Public and Historical Discourse', in: Niels F. May & Thomas Maissen (eds.), National History and New Nationalism in the Twenty-First Century. A Global Comparison, Routledge: New York 2021, 72 - 95
  • ‚Probing the Limits of Metaphor: On the Stratigraphic Model in History and Geology’, in: Zoltán Boldizsár Simon and Lars Deile (eds.), Historical Understanding: Past, Present and Future, London: Bloomsbury 2022, 203-217.
  • ‘The Role of Emotions in the Construction of Collective Identities in Populism, Nativism, and Ethnic Nationalism’, in: Berber Bevernage, Eline Mestdagh, Walderez Ramalho, and Marie-Gabrielle Verbergt (eds.), Claiming the People’s Past Populist Politics of History in the Twenty-First Century, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2024, 267-287.
  • ´Ist es wirklich wahr? Einige Überlegungen zu Wahrheit / Post-Wahrheit´, in: Mojib Latif (ed.), Wert der Wahrheit: Wissenschaftliche Perspektiven, Freiburg: Verlag Herder 2024, 79-89.
  • ‘Fiktion und Fiktionalität in der Geschichte’, in: Michele Barricelli, Nicola Brauch, Estevão de Rezende Martins, Friedrich Jaeger and Jörn Rüsen (eds.), Handbuch der Historik, Wiesbaden: Springer Verlag 2025, 249-257.

 

  • ‘Historical knowledge and historical reality. A plea for "internal realism" ',in: History and Theory 33 (1994), 3, 297- 327;  reprinted in: B. Fay en R.T. Vann (eds.), History and Theory. Contemporary Readings, Oxford 1998, 342-377; reprinted in: Robert M. Burns (ed.), Historiography. Critical Concepts in Historical Studies, vol. 4, Culture, Routledge, Oxford/ New York 2006, 434-468; Chinese translation in: Chen Qineng and Ni Weigo (eds.),  Writing History, vol.1. of  the series The Frontiers of Historiography, vol.1., Shanghai 2003, 78-99; revised version in German translation: ‘Historisches Wissen und historische Wirklichkeit: Für einen ´internen Realismus´ ‘, in: Jens Schröter/Antje Eddelbüttel (eds.), Konstruktion von Wirklichkeit. Beiträge aus geschichtstheoretischer, philosophischer und theologischer Perspektive,  Berlin/New York 2004, 65-106; in Polish translation in: Przekraczanie Granic: Esejez filozofii historii i teorii historiografii, Poznan 2009, 15-71; in Russian translation: in:  ЛИЧНОСТЬ. КУЛЬТУРА. ОБЩЕСТВО. 2012. Том XIV. Вып. 1 (№№ 69–70), 70-81  en  ЛИЧНОСТЬ. КУЛЬТУРА. ОБЩЕСТВО. 2012. Том XIV. Вып. 2 (№№ 71–72, 89-98. (Personality, Culture, Society); in Ukranian translation as: Mishalova, O., & Panafidina, O. (2020). Chris Lorenz and modern philosophy of history: how can a philosopher be useful to a historian? (Preface to the translation of «Historical knowledge and historical reality: a plea for "internal realism“). Actual Problems of Mind. Philosophy Journal, (21), 102-110.
  • `Beyond Good and Evil? The Second German Empire of 1871 and Modern German Historiography', in: Journal of Contemporary History 30 (1995), 729-765. In Polish translation in: Przekraczanie Granic: Esejez filozofii historii i teorii historiografii, Poznan 2009.
  • `Narrativism, positivism and the "metaphorical turn" ', in: History and Theory 37 (1998), 3, 309-329;  in Hungarian translation: ‘Lehetnek-e igazak a tortének?  Narrativizmus, pozitivizmus és a “metaforikus fordulat” ‘, in: Thomka Beáta (ed.), Narratívák. A történelem poétikája, Budapest 2001, 121-147; in Chinese translations: in: World Philosophy, no.2, 2002, 12 – 21, and in: Shadong Social Science vol. 3 (2004), nr. 103, 5-21; revised version in German translation: ‘Kann Geschichte wahr sein? Zu den narrativen Geschichtsphilosophien von Hayden White und Frank Ankersmit’, in: Jens Schröter/Antje Eddelbüttel (eds.), Konstruktion von Wirklichkeit. Beiträge aus geschichtstheoretischer, philosophischer und theologischer Perspektive, Berlin/New York 2004, 33-63. In Polish translation in: Przekraczanie Granic: Esejez filozofii historii i teorii historiografii, Poznan 2009.
  • “Is het Derde Rijk al geschiedenis? Martin Broszat als historicus en pedagoog' in: G. Aalders et al. (eds.), Oorlogsdocumentatie '40 - ' 45. Achtste Jaarboek voor Oorlogsdocumentatie,  Zutphen 1997, 236-253. In English translation: `Has the Third Reich become history? Martin Broszat as historian and pedagogue',in: Bulletin of the Arnold and Leona Finkler Institute for Holocaust Research, nr. 8, Jerusalem 1998, 27-44; in Hebrew translation in the same Bulletin.
  • ‘Won’t you tell me where have all the good times gone? On the advantages and disadvantages of modernization theory for history’, in: Rethinking History vol. 10 (2006), nr. 2 (june), 171- 200; reprinted in Q. Edward Wang and Franz L. Fillafer (eds.), The Many Faces of Clio: Cross-cultural Approaches to Historiography, New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books, 2007, 104-127. In Polish translation in: Przekraczanie Granic: Esejez filozofii historii i teorii historiografii, Poznan 2009.
  • (together with Stefan Berger), ‘National Narratives and Their ‘Others’: Ethnicity, Class, Religion and the Gendering of National Histories’, in: Storia della Storiografia/Geschichte der Geschichtsschreibung 50 (2006), 59-98.
  • 'If you're so smart, why are you under surveillance? Universities, Neoliberalism and New Public Management', in: Critical Inquiry, Spring 2012 Issue (University of Chicago Press), 599-630. In Flemish translation: `If you're so smart, why are you under surveillance?” Universiteiten, Neoliberalisme en ' New Public Management', in: De Uil van Minerva. Tijdschrift voor de geschiedenis en filosofie van cultuur vol. 26 (2013), nr.3, 171- 202.
  • ‘Blurred Lines. History, Memory and the Experience of Time’, in: International Journal for History, Culture and Modernity vol.1 (2014), nr.2. 43-63.
  • ‘On fixing the facts. The Rise of Neo-liberalism, the Metrification of ‘Quality’ and the Fall of the Professions’, in: Moving the Social. Journal of Social History and the History of Social Movements 2014, 51, 5-27. In Dutch translation: ‘Feiten fiksen. Over tellen, meten en zeker weten’, in: Ad Verbrugge & Jelle van Baardewijk (eds.), Waartoe is de universiteit op aarde?, Boom: Amsterdam 2014, 77-89.
  • Who are we? Reflections on Collective Identities, in: Moving the Social. Journal of Social History and the History of Social Movements 2024, 73, 161–193.
  •  
  • (with co-editor Erik S. Bloemen), Politieke Interventie van Militairen in Historisch Perspectief, special issue of Amsterdams Sociologisch Tijdschrift, Amsterdam 1980. Contributions: 'Finers theorie over de politieke interventie van militairen' (7-18) and 'Politieke interventie in historisch perspectief' (107-117).
  • (co-editors G. van den Bergh and R. Pieterman), special issue of Het Recht der Werkelijkheid: Het Recht van de Geschiedenis. Historische Dimensies in Sociaalwetenschappelijk Onderzoek van Recht, The Hague 1993; contribution 'Ter inleiding', 5 -12 and 'De sociaalwetenschappelijke en de historische benadering van het verleden’, 161-188.
  • 'Forum Comparative historiography: problems and perspectives', in: History and Theory 38 (1999), nr. 1, 25-40 (with contributions by Jürgen Kocka, Richard Bosworth, Sebastian Conrad and Daniel Levy), including introduction: `Comparative historiography: problems and perspectives', 25-39. In Spanish translation: ‘Historiograia comparada: problemas y perspectivas’, in: Memoria & Sociedad vol.9, nr.19, Julio – Diciembre e 2005 (ISSN 0122-5197), Dossier Historia Comparada, 35-47. (Bogota, Colombia).
  • 'Forum: Culture and explanation in historical inquiry', in: History and Theory 39 (2000) (with contributions of John Hall, Richard Biernacki and Anne Kane), with introduction ' Some afterthoughts on culture and explanation in historical inquiry', 348-363.
  • Forum: ‘Crossing the Borders of Philosophy and History’ on Chris Lorenz, Bordercrossings. Explorations between Philosophy and History, Poznan 2009. (with contributions of Hayden White, Krzysztof Brzechczyn, Aviezer Tucker, Ewa Domanska, Monika Bobako and Chris Lorenz). In: Historein vol.14 (2014), nr.1, 59-103, at:   https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/historein/issue/view/141.

 

  • (with co-editor Stefan Berger), The Contested Nation. Ethnicity, Class, Religion and Gender in National Histories, Palgrave MacMillan: Houndmills 2008, 634 p.; 2nd print 2009; 3rd. print 2010; Paperback-edition 2011.
  • (ed.), ‘If you’re so smart why aren’t you rich? Universiteit, Markt & Management. Reflections on the university, the market & management, Boom: Amsterdam 2008, 362 p.
  • (with co-editor Stefan Berger), Nationalizing the Past. Historians as Nation Builders in Modern Europe, Palgrave Macmillan: Houndmills 2010, 529 p.
  • (with co-editors Christian Krijnen and Joachim Umlauf ), Wahrheit oder Gewinn? Über die Ökonomisierung von Universität und Wissenschaft, Königshausen & Neumann: Würzburg 2011, 196 p.
  • (with co-editors Stefan Berger and Billie Melman), Popularizing National Pasts: 1800 to the Present, Routledge: New York 2012, 358 p.
  • (with co-editor Berber Bevernage), Breaking Up Time. Negotiating the Borders between Present, Past and Future, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht: Goettingen 2013, 274 p.
  • (with co-editors Stefan Berger and Nicola Brauch), Analysing Historical Narratives. On Academic, Popular and Educational Framings of the Past, Berghahn Books: New York and London 2021, 356 p.
  • 'Vanuit rendementsoogpunt kun je de geschiedfilosofie beter vandaag opheffen dan morgen', Peer Vries in gesprek met Chris Lorenz, in: Leidschrift: Historisch Tijdschrift 10 (1994), nr.3: 111–125.
  • ‘Who knows where the time goes? An interview with Chris Lorenz by Marek Tamm, in: Rethinking History 18 (2014), 1-23. In Estonian translation: "Teooriad ja faktid ajaloos. Intervjuu Chris Lorenziga" (Theories and Facts in History. Interview with Chris Lorenz). Tuna, no. 4, 2013, pp. 108-120.
  • ‘Scholars in Conversation. Jouni-Matti Kuukanen interviews Chris Lorenz’, at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIPgkILxIkk  (2024).