History Didactics is a branch of history science and has interdisciplinary connections to the didactics of other subjects and to educational science as well.

History Didactics focuses primarily on past and current phenomena of historical awareness, historical culture and the teaching of history in society, which overlaps in history lessons. History teaching in schools is very important for history didactics. Since it has been extensively institutionalised, it is the first, formative and, in some cases the only, introduction into history for most of the students that is planned systematically over several years, officially authorized and based on scientific knowledge.

It is essential for a democratic society to have an empiric, theoretical and normative discussion about the state and change of historical awareness, historical culture and the teaching of history within and beyond history lessons at school. Mentioning the ideological misuse of the interpretation and the teaching of history by the dictatorships of the 20th century, should suffice here.

Democratic, liberal and pluralistic societies have to see their main goal in educating the students, so they - as future citizens - are able to approach possible interpretations of history in a rational and critical manner. They should be able to understand the development and change of historical identities and participate in political or public life. It goes without saying that the basis for this is a broad and orientational historical knowledge.

However, the tasks of history didactics are not limited to observing political and democratic participation. An important focus is to allow children and adolescents to find their personal interests in history, find joy in approaching things, which are culturally 'foreign' and experience the benefit of historical thinking as means to find meaning and orientation in their lives. They will also be able to engage with traces of history they are confronted with in everyday life.

The studies of history didactics at the University of Augsburg can offer the following to future history teachers and other students in history didactics:

• An insight into current research approaches, discussions and theories of history didactics, including competence models
• An insight into the history of history didactics and the current educational objectives of history lessons
• An overview of important subject-specific teaching principles, different forms of teaching, working and media, taking into consideration age-specific and school-specific approaches as well as interdisciplinary networks
• In-depth experiences with project orientated teaching concepts (by participating in the Berufswerkstatt Geschichtskultur and the Master of Arts programme fachdidaktische Vermittlungswissenschaften/Mediating Culture)
• Intensive practical experience connected with in-depth theoretic reflexion
• The knowledge of the curriculum and competences, which are needed to make an appropriate decision on the right goals, themes, topics and methods for the history lessons, keeping in mind the connection to the curriculum as well as the students’ everyday lives
• The competence to autonomously analyse curricula, teaching materials, teaching concepts and especially textbooks in a didactically competent way
• An insight into the significance of the mainstream media for the organisation and critical perception of history
• An insight into the international comparative perspectives regarding the development of the curricula and the textbooks.