In the summer semester of 1978, Dorothea Willkomm submitted her master's thesis in history with the title “Untersuchungen zur Anfangsphase der deutschen Südosteuropahistoriographie”. On closer inspection, the thesis proves to be a first-rate historical source for the history of German Southeast European historiography.
The sparse documentation of the work makes it possible to reveal the context in which it was written, the people involved and the course of the research process for the qualification thesis, in which personal, scientific and academic factors interacted. They reveal that the thesis is the earliest and most in-depth academic examination of the history of Southeast European studies to date, from the emergence of the discipline to the end of the Second World War, particularly during the period of Nazi rule.
The master's thesis thus proves to be a special and unique probe that allows for a reassessment of the history of German historical Southeast European historiography after 1945. This will take place within the framework of the project, which includes an edition of the master's thesis.