Worum geht es in der Wald- und Forstgeschichte? | What is the object of forest and forestry history?

This text is concerned with the content focus of forest and forestry history, which we look at from three different perspectives. Starting with a few historiographical comments on the history of these subjects as scientific disciplines, we go on to reflect on their terms of reference and conclude with a description of their goals. As far as institutions are concerned, the teaching and research areas of «Forest and Forestry History»are attached to forest sciences today, but they were connected with the history of the universities from the very beginning. This co-operation led to methodological and theoretical innovations,as well as to an expansion of the content of forest and forestry history, ranging from the beginnings of modern forest economies at the end of the 18th century to the relationship between man and forest in all historical eras. It is therefore also part of environmental history, the central interest of which focuses on the interaction between human beings and the environment.