Focus

From 2025, the IHZ will take over the editorship of the renowned and long-established specialist journal Forum Stadt - www.forum-stadt.eu/start/Zeitschrift.html - which was founded in 1973 and published under the name "Die Alte Stadt" from 1978 to 2010. The magazine is published quarterly and is supported by the association Forum Stadt - Netzwerk historischer Städte e.V., an association of currently around 80 cities chaired by the Mayor of Esslingen, Matthias Klopfer.

The association and the editorial team are firmly convinced that an academic, practice-orientated journal for urban history, urban sociology, monument preservation and urban development, which is supported by a network of historic cities and thus combines research and practice, is still justified, indeed necessary.

In the first issue of the journal, founded in 1974, the new interdisciplinary forum on urban research was launched in order to no longer view urban research in the humanities solely from a historical or theoretical perspective, but to anchor it more firmly in society and politics. What was true back then is still true today, but a variety of new challenges have since arisen: The climate crisis, resulting in the need for a turnaround in construction and transport, financial crises, skills shortages and migration, wars and international tensions, a strengthening of anti-democratic forces, etc. This multiple crisis situation, the end of which is not in sight, is putting a strain on people, institutions and science. Forums for interdisciplinary exchange between researchers and transfer to society are more important than ever.

Forum Stadt is ideal for precisely this purpose. The aforementioned challenges will be the topics of future issues, as well as the traditional issues of urban development, urban sociology and heritage conservation. We will also continue to deal with aspects of cultural history and publish historical articles accordingly. Because it should not be forgotten: Historic cities have already experienced many crises, upheavals and paradigm shifts and have reacted to a wide range of changes. They therefore also offer an enormous wealth of empirical knowledge to equip us for the challenges of the present and the future.

In addition to themed issues, the journal offers the opportunity to publish free contributions in the field of urban research as well as reviews and shorter forum contributions. All relevant researchers, especially younger academics, are encouraged to submit contributions or suggestions for themed issues.

The journal Forum Stadt publishes articles on urban research topics, in particular on urban sociology, urban history, monument preservation and urban regeneration. Before submitting a manuscript, we recommend that you check that it matches the content and focus of the journal.

Following the resignation of the previous editor-in-chief Hans Schultheiß, who successfully oversaw the journal for forty years, the change to Bauhaus-Universitätsverlag of the arts + science weimar publishing group is now also taking place - to order.