Recent developments in so called ‘failing states’ have directed attention to phenomena like the erosion of state institutions. The power of the state being put in question highlights the growing importance of semi or non-governmental institutions which are no longer bound to legal norms or legitimate forms of government. This recent experience reminds us that the history of the police cannot be written as a story of an ever growing modern state but has to be situated in specific historical contexts. These historical contexts might as well be marked by processes of diminishing power of a central authority such as a retreat of the state, erosion of state agencies or a hybridization of governmental and non-governmental agencies. Another important aspect is the privatization of ‘law and order’ by agencies competing with the state.
Phenomena like these shall be discussed during the colloquium. We invite contributions to any of the above mentioned topics such as:

- the development of the police in times of decline or fall of the state. This encompasses processes of the weakening or radical restructuring of the political order pertaining to war, civil war or decolonization
- the extrusion, delegitimization or marginalization of the police in sub cultural structures of power and space such as in urban ‘no go areas’ etc.
- the appropriation of policing functions by political organizations such as ‘Parteiarmeen’ (armies of the party) etc. and the development of hybrid combinations of governmental and non-governmental forms of organization as can be observed in national socialist Germany.
- the slow processes of longue durée, undermining the credibility, recognition and integrity of the police as can be observed in conjunction with corruption or conflicts between competing state agencies
- private organizations maintaining order and/or security by fulfilling ‘classical’ police duties, e.g. Pinkerton agency, security forces, detective agencies, ‘Schwarze Sheriffs’ (= security forces working on public transportation in Germany), or any type of service to maintain order in shopping malls

Referring to these processes, a range of questions could be posed: What triggered or promoted them? Who exactly were the agents? Who was for what reasons interested in private policing or the weakening of the official police forces? How was this legitimized; is there something like a (master) narrative to back up such developments? How did the police react, how those policed? What happened to the relationship between the police and its competitors? We appreciate contributions to European and Non-European cases in the 19th and 20th centuries. Papers discussing contemporary issues are also welcome if a historical dimension and perspective are included. We are also looking for colleagues willing to host a panel.