Paul Treffenfeldt

Paul Treffenfeldt is a Researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space (IRS) in the Contemporary History and Archives research area since March 2024. He holds a master's degree in History from Humboldt University Berlin with a focus on contemporary history and previously studied at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. His current research examines the history of statistics during Germany's post-1990 transformation period.

His educational background includes:

• Master's degree in History (Contemporary History focus) from Humboldt University Berlin
• Studies in History at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Treffenfeldt's research centers on economic and knowledge-historical issues in recent contemporary history. His master's thesis analyzed low-wage income and working poverty in Germany after 1990 through a knowledge-history lens. He now investigates statistical history in the post-1990s transformation era as part of the IRS's third-party funded "GeStat" project (2024-2028), conducted with the Federal Statistical Office. This project explores policy concepts and organizational developments within German statistics since the late 1980s, using the census boycott as a historical anchor point.

His publications reveal consistent engagement with labor history, social statistics, and historical methodology. Key themes include longitudinal data applications in contemporary research, European in-work poverty patterns, GDR economic planning, and unemployment as a social construct. His work bridges quantitative historical analysis with socio-political discourse, emphasizing how statistical frameworks shape societal understanding of labor and poverty.

Scientific Awards:

• No scientific awards documented in available sources

Treffenfeldt contributes to the "GeStat" project (2024-2028), a collaborative initiative with the Federal Statistical Office examining historical developments in German statistics. No student advising roles are indicated in current records. His research integrates archival analysis with contemporary policy discourse, particularly regarding census methodologies and social statistics evolution.

He operates within the IRS's Contemporary History and Archives research area and collaborates directly with the Federal Statistical Office through the GeStat project team, focusing on interdisciplinary approaches to historical data production and policy formation.