Research

In recent years, research at the Division of History has broadened considerably. The research covers the period from the late Middle Ages to the present day. Cultural history remains central, but research with a greater focus on social history has also taken on a more prominent role. Even though Swedish and Scandinavian history, in general put into an international context, is strong, there is also research directly aimed at international conditions. To this can be counted research about state building process in Europe, genocide in European history culture, as well as communism’s and National Socialism’s history in a comparative perspective. Studies of the modern history of Eastern and Central Europe have grown in recent years and boast an extensive international network of contacts. Global history has also taken a more central place with studies including East Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterreanen and South America taking a more prominent role. The history of knowledge is well established and Lund Centre for the History of Knowledge (LUCK) is an important research environment with a broad international perspective.

In addition to a number of individual research projects, research is carried out within six research nodes: History of Knowledge (LUCK), Global History (LAUGH), Digital History (DEPTH), Labour History (AH), History of the Holocaust (NORAH) and History focusing on ownership and inheritance (HEIRS). Each research node consists of scholars based in Lund as well as in connected networks. See: Research Nodes | The Subject of History

Within the subject area, there are a number of specialised seminars open to all, where researchers with shared interests meet regularly to discuss texts. Each research node has its own specialised seminar, but in addition to these there is the Pre-Modern Seminar, focusing on the period 1500–1800; the East Meets West seminar, which focuses on modern European history; and LUSAH – Lund University Seminars on African History.

Studies of gender history has a long history within the subject. That is still the case, but today it is more integrated and no longer a distinct field of research. Examples of projects where this is evident include those on the global history of emotions, the history of tourism and the history of the media. 

For several decades, there has been research done on labor history at the department. Some of these operations are located at the Center for Labor History in Landskrona, Sweden. Researchers established in this research tradition have, with inspiration foremost in British social history, studied class formation, worker culture, and riots. In later years, even environmental-history perspectives and research about political radicalism have been introduced. Finally, the division has a well-developed research field on education and the use of history which, amongst other things, has advanced research into the memory of the Holocaust.