Horst Carl

Prof. Horst Carl is a Professor of Modern History (Early Modern Period) at Justus Liebig University Giessen since 2001. He serves as Deputy Speaker of the CRC/TRR 138 'Dynamics of Security' and leads subprojects A01 and B01. His research focuses on cooperative organizations in early modern constitutional history, nobility self-assertion, and violence cultures. He previously held roles at the Université Aix-Marseille III and the University of Tübingen, where he completed his Habilitation in 1998 and PhD in 1989.

• Education:
  • PhD (Dr. phil.) in History, University of Tübingen (1989)
  • Habilitation in History, University of Tübingen (1998)
  • Studies in History, Philosophy, and German Literature (Bonn/Tübingen, 1978-1984)

His research interests include the significance of cooperative forms in late medieval/early modern governance, noble self-assertion around 1500/1800, occupation regimes in early modernity, and mentalities linking religion and war experiences. He has authored influential monographs on the Swabian League and Imperial Diet of Worms 1495, and co-edited volumes on military memory cultures and European perceptions. His work frequently engages with interdisciplinary approaches to violence, media events, and historical transitions.

• Awards:
  • Schillerpreis der Stadt Marbach (2003)
  • Research Fellow at FRIAS (2011/12)
• Professional Roles:
  • Member of the Historical Commission for Hesse (since 2003)
  • Co-editor of Rule and Social Systems in the Early Modern Period
  • Editor of the Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit

Carl collaborates with institutions like the DHI Paris and leads research initiatives on security dynamics and communities of violence. His academic output combines meticulous archival research with innovative conceptual frameworks in early modern European history.