(E-mail and Historians in Germany) Date Sun, 4 Sep 1994 08 17 43 -0500 Reply-To: German History list Sender: German History list From: H-GERMAN MODERATOR Dan Rogers Subject: Re: E-mail and historians in Germany Submitted by: Thomas Schroeder i would like to send some comments to the discussion from american colleagues about the situation "e-mail and historians" in germany: i am a german historian and infomation scientist (M.A) working on the historical department of the Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet D}sseldorf (lehrstuhl fruehe neuzeit) and preparing my PhD. >Some possible contributory factors that might explain the slowness with which >German (and Austrian) scholars have adapted to E-mail: > 1. Universities have been much slower in setting up on-campus connections. since many years we have the possibility to have internet access via the central computing center. but this was very uncomfortably (operating system: BS 2000 from the german "Haus- und Hoflieferant" SIEMENS). but the historical department had no terminals connected to the computing center, only some local PCs. at the end of this year the university will realized an dezentral computing concept and will build up a PC-based-network. so the historical department will get an internet access from the working- place. but it is not at this time! > 2. Calling from home involves greater expense: modems cost more and so does >each phone call (a LOT more) in the absence of US-style "unlimited" local >phone service. as i know i am the only historian at duesseldorf will do it in this way (via SLIP connection to the computing center in duesseldorf). it is not very expensive. > 3. Computer culture lags considerably behind the US. I'd guess that their >comfort level right now -- especially among historians and other non- >scientists -- is probably like it was in the states ca 1986. the situation did not change very much. here in duesseldorf we have no courses in "history and computing". >two components: first, yes, there are genuine bottlenecks in many of the >German universities with waiting lists for people seeking an e-mail >address--even in the old Bundeslaender and especially in the new. not in duesseldorf. every student can get an internet address. only the professor of his master programm must signed the application form. but the professor or the department must not pay for it. all internet traffic betwen the (german) universities are payed via the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgesellschaft) with general accounts. >Second, most of the colleagues I know in Germany who are over 45 simply >are not prepared to adjust to communicating electronically [...] >I have come to suspect that fewer German >professors will be inclined to participate on any regular basis in >discussions via e-mail; one reason is a different understanding in germany what historical science is. i think a german professor will not discuss with colleagues to much. he will "discuss" with the sources! he feel a very high personal responsibility for his own research and discussion with other persons will not contribute it. he will "discuss" with their texts. so you will find not many textes from german historians writing from more than one author! >Submitted by: Angelika Meyer >Getting an email account is still difficult in Germany. >Unlike in the US, universities don't provide them to any >student/staff/faculty member who asks. Someone has to sponsor the account. >For students, it is next to impossible to get accounts through the university. for every interessted student in duesseldorf no problem! >Many faculty have never even heard of email - at the historical department it is true but it will be change. in the next summer term i will start with a specially internet course for historians. >There is a huge market for illegal (US) modems, but if you hang such >a thing on your German phone line, you are committing a felony, punishable >by up to five years in jail. but nowadays legal modems are very cheap (<300 DM). >Submitted by: Fotis Jannidis > I am afraid the economic situation alone cannot explain > why email and other internet services are in Germany not as widespread > as in the USA. my experience is that german historians are the most time textoriented and will do hermeneutics. Quantitative methods are not widespread (but see Center for Historical Social Research /Zentrum fuer Historische Sozialforschung/Email: ZHSF@IBM.ZA.UNI-KOELN.de (contact: Ralph Ponemereo)). german historians are mostly research- and not teaching oriented. for the daily work they need no computer-based-training programms like mulitmedia etc. and finally the historical programme closing with the Magister Artium (M.A) is academic oriented and will not preparing for a good job with high income. at last i will inform you about the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft Geschichte und EDV"(AGE), a (little) community of historians using internet/email. The "Arbeitsgemeinschaft" will be in next future an associate organisation of the "Association of History and Computing". The AGE had made a congress in March of this year and the proceedings will be published next time. you can get an list of the AGE members (with their email-addresses!) from Dr. Klaus-Peter Busche (University of Bremen, email: h04m@zfn.uni- bremen.de). more information about the AGE you can get from Dr. Helge Steenweg (Max- Planck-Institut fuer Geschichte Goettingen, email: hsteenw1@gwdg.de) hope some comments/information would be helpfully, thomas a. schroeder PS: if you have further questions don not hesitate to send me an email. PS: some texts about the situation (History and computing) in germany and other european countries you will find in "Halbgraue Reihe zur Historischen Fachinformatik". ################################################################################ ######################################### Thomas A. Schroeder (M.A.) Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf Historisches Seminar / Studiengang Informationswissenschaft Universitaetsstrasse 1; Geb. 23.31/06/67 D-40225 Duesseldorf Tel: +49(0)211-3.11-29.27 / 29.13 Fax: +49(0)211-34.22.29 E-mail: Thomas.Schroeder@uni-duesseldorf.de (internet) * privat: Muensterer Str. 17 * D-51063 Koeln * #### there's no way to delay the trouble coming everyday - F.Zappa #### Information provider: Unit: H-Net program at UIC History Department Email: H-Net@uicvm.uic.edu Posted: 10 Sep 1994 .