Abstract

GAY, María Eugenia. The Fischer Controversy. Or, On How To Write History Without Talking About The Past. Hist. graf [online]. 2015, n.45, pp.165-192.  Epub Nov 22, 2019. ISSN 1405-0927.

This paper analyses de historiographical debate between Fritz Fischer and Gerhard Ritter over Germany’s responsibility in the outbreak of World War One. It intends to explore the controversy from the perspective of an intellectual history of historiography, that is, from the recovery of historiographical debates as constituent part of the history of the transformations of the theory of historiography, the visions of history they presuppose and the building of a disciplinary memory. The article proposes that the main result of this querelle was the association of historism with conservative nationalism, and next with National Socialism. This association discredited historism and the idea of Wssenschaft in general, in favour of the British/French modelled historical science. In a more general scope, it intends to show how the questioning of historiography does not arise purely from theoretical discussion, but instead from real social and political dilemmas.

Keywords : Fischer Controversy; Historiography; Post-war.

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