Mission Textbook

Textbook revision and research have historically been two of the central pillars of the work of the Georg Eckert Institute, and remain so today. The history of the Institute demonstrates just how intertwined they are. Against this backdrop, the development of the Institute is presented and critically examined from different perspectives, using a broad range of source materials. The book pays particular attention to the collection of textbooks for the humanities and social sciences, which has been important from the beginning and is now the largest in the world. The history of the Institute illustrates how academic perspectives, as well as political and financial instruments, related to textbook research and revision have changed as part of the shift from bilateral cooperation to global networks. The Institute has always responded to changing social contexts and its foci have provided important stimuli for economists, education practitioners and policy makers.