AGATE

As part of a new project, the BBAW has been devoting itself since January 2004 to "Prussia as a Cultural State" and thus to the ambiguous image of Prussia in history. The range of interpretations extends from the militarily organized authoritarian state to the tolerant enlightenment state to the multi-ethnic integration state. The BBAW's approach to Prussian history not only corresponds to its understanding of tradition from the Prussian Academy of Sciences. Rather, it does justice to both the general interest of an interested public and the continuing interest of historical research in Prussia as a historical phenomenon, which has shaped modern German history like no other state and radiated it sustainably and ambivalently onto Europe. By focusing on the problem of the cultural state, the new project turns to a central aspect of Prussian history that has not yet been scientifically illuminated. Generally speaking, the focus is on the relationship between state formation, culture and society. In a combination of editorial work and monographic research, the project will deal with selected topics of Prussian cultural, religious, mentality, scientific and historical politics. It has a modular structure and makes use of the archive landscape that is unique in Berlin-Brandenburg for this topic.