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2024-06-30-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01/07/2023 Period start date To 30/06/2024

Charity name: The German History Society

Charity registration number: 1182341

Objectives and Activities

SORP
reference
Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document
Para 1.17 The German History Society (“the Society”)
1.
Objects
The Objects of the Society are, for the public benefit
in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland:
1.1
To advance education in, and promote the
study of, German history, including the
history
of
German-speaking
lands,
in
particular but not exclusively by:
1.1.1
Organising
public
conferences,
lectures and events on topics relating
to German history;
1.1.2
Creating and fostering links between
academics,
students,
scholarly
bodies and other individuals and
organisations
engaged
with
or
interested in German history;
1.1.3
Producing
and
disseminating
publications, online resources and
other media to provide information
relating to the subject and study of
German history; and
1.1.4
Providing grants and bursaries for
study or research into German
history, and awarding prizes for
exceptional academic work relating
to German history, in particular but
not exclusively to students and early
career scholars.
1.2
Nothing in this Constitution shall authorise an
application of the property of the Society for
purposes which are not charitable in
accordance with section 7 of the Charities
and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005
and section 2 of the Charities Act (Northern
Ireland) 2008.
Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.
Para 1.17
and 1.19
The Society promotes learning in the history of
Germany and the German-speaking world. It does
this,
broadly,
through
events,
publication/dissemination
of
print
and
online
information, awarding grants for study/research and
fostering a network of academics, students and other
individuals and organisations interested in the
discipline.
The Society exists to benefit the public at large and
many benefits are accessible to all. However, the
Society encourages those with an interest in German
history to become members and membership confers
additional benefits. Membership is easy to obtain and
affordable: the cost is £34/year for general
membership and £4/year for student membership,
which is a lower fee than that charged by many other
membership organisations.
Members of the Society can access various benefits,
which are designed to promote their learning,
including automatic subscription to the Society's own
journal, eligibility to apply for bursaries/grants and
free attendance at the Society’s annual conference
and various other events.
The Society’s journal,German History, includes
articles/research and other information relevant the
field and represents an excellent educational
resource. In addition, the Society’s website includes a
comprehensive list of links to relevant study and
research resources, to assist students, scholars and
other interested parties to develop their learning in the
area.
The Society’s annual conference and other events
provide a platform for leading speakers in German
history to showcase their work and educate
attendees. These events also facilitate networking
between those working, studying or interested in the
discipline, thereby providing opportunities to advance
education through the sharing of knowledge and
ideas.
Bursaries and grants allow students and early career
scholars to fund items that otherwise may have been
unaffordable to them, including study fees, research
trips, attending or putting on conferences/events,
language training, amongst other things. These
awards, therefore, broaden access to the field and
promote learning.
The Society also awards various prizes for
outstanding work in the field of German history,
including a postgraduate essay prize, EDI prize and
undergraduate dissertation prize, which are open to
students at UK and Irish universities, and a prize for
the best article published each year in_German_
_History_journal.
The Society exists to advance education in the history
of Germany and the German-speaking world and is
committed to activities that enable the public at large
to become engaged in this discipline.
Non-members can subscribe to the German History
journal and attend the Society’s annual conference
and other events, subject to payment of a small fee.
Therefore, many of the benefits enjoyed by members
are available more widely at cost, and therefore,
contribute to the Society’s aims of advancing
education in German history for the benefit of the
public at large.
Furthermore, membership of the Society is open to
any person who is studying, teaching or researching
German history, or who supports the aims of the
Society or is simply interested in the topic. There is no
limit on membership numbers. Therefore, although
members gain benefits by virtue of their membership,
anyone with an interest in the area can become a
member and therefore enjoy these benefits.
Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit
Para 1.18 The trustees, in making decisions, have had due
regard to the Commission’s public benefit guidance
when exercising any powers or duties to which the
guidance is relevant.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

SORP reference Para 1.38 Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers

Other

Achievements and Performance

SORP
reference
Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.
Para 1.20 Annual Conference
In 2023, the Society’s annual conference was held at
Birmingham University from 7–9 September. The
conference included around 75 participants (speakers,
chairs,
discussants)
from
across
the
globe,
representing
researchers
at
all
levels
from
postgraduates and early career researchers to
established senior scholars. Plenary lectures were
given by Felicitas Schmieder (Fern-Universität Hagen),
Christoph Mick (University of Warwick), and Howard
Hotson (St Anne’s College, University of Oxford).
Members and non-members alike were able to attend
the conference and broaden their knowledge of
German history and culture.
Other Events
On 7 September 2023, prior to the GHS annual
conference, a workshop was held for Postgraduates
and Early Career Researchers on effective grant-
writing and submitting publications – these were very
well-attended.
The GHS also supported the annual ‘German History in
the North’ conference, held in May 2024, with a
particular emphasis on encouraging the participation of
researchers based in the North of England. However,
any researcher, regardless of institutional affiliation or
location, was welcome to attend.
The GHS also provided support through its Impact and
Outreach grant to fund the planning of a digital
exhibition on Britain's response to the persecution of
Jews under Nazism. Additionally,Tanks on the Streets:
The Uprising of 17 June 1953 in East Germany, a free

exhibition commemorating the 70th anniversary of the first Cold War uprising in Germany, was presented at the University of Chester. Some films and artworks were also shown at the Storyhouse Cultural Centre in Chester during the summer of 2023. Membership

In May 2024, the Society had 206 members (117 waged and 89 unwaged), marking an overall increase of approximately 17% compared to the previous year. The higher number of unwaged members suggests that the Society is becoming increasingly accessible to them. The expanded use of multiple social media channels has played a significant role in this achievement. Members of the Society are able to attend the annual conference without paying a fee, and are eligible for the Society’s prizes, grants, and bursaries. Membership of the Society also includes a subscription at significantly discounted rates to the internationally-acclaimed journal German History , which is published four times a year on behalf of the Society by Oxford University Press. Grants

Grant applications have recovered since the Covid
pandemic, which is encouraging. The introduction of
new web forms has significantly improved the quality of
submissions, with fuller information provided on both
individual projects and broader research contexts. The
decision to extend the definition of early career
researchers from two to five years—reflecting the
increasing challenges faced by postgraduates and
ECRs—has been well received, enabling more
precariously
placed
or
early-stage
scholars
to
undertake more ambitious work.
For a full financial breakdown of expenditure on grants
and bursaries, see the Financial Review section below.
GHS Postgraduate awards 2023–4
Small grants and bursaries:
Small Grants:
£3,141 was awarded to 3 applicants in January 2024
(x2 research, x1 conference travel)
£14,743 was awarded to 12 applicants in April 2024 (x7
research, x1 4 conference travel, x1 workshop
organisation)
Up to £1,500 is available to applicants to fund research
or
conference
travel
or
workshop/conference
organisation.
Postgraduate Bursaries:
£29,259 was awarded to 12 applicants in April 2024
Up to £2,500 is available to applicants to fund language
courses, archive study trips, fees or general
maintenance.
Hardship Funding:
A grant of £500 was awarded to one applicant, to be
disbursed in the next reporting period.
GHS – DAAD Language Grant:
€3,400 was awarded, divided between the GHS and
DAAD, to 4 applicants to attend German language
courses.
Exhibition Funding Scheme
Funding was awarded to support the launch of_The_
_Wandering Jew_travelling exhibition (Parkes Institute
for the Study of Jewish/non-Jewish Relations,
University of Southampton), which was presented for
Inter Faith Week as part of a literary, artistic and
historical showcase exploring how the legend of the
Wandering Jew has been reimagined as a vehicle for
interfaith tolerance and as a motif of Jewish resilience
and cultural richness.
Funding was also awarded for_A Place of Refuge_, a
portable exhibition on Jewish refugee academics who
fled Nazi Germany and subsequently built scholarly
careers at the University of Southampton. It will be
displayed
at
the
university’s
annual
Hands-on
Humanities Day in autumn 2024.
Further support was granted to_Mercy Squad_, a
cooperative, in-person educational game to be
implemented at New College Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Aimed at Scottish Highers students—and also suitable
for A-Level students in England, Wales and Northern
Ireland—it explores the roles of perpetrators and
saviours in the Third Reich. These funds will be
disbursed in the next reporting period.
Prizes
RHS/GHS Postgraduate Essay prize
The German History Society awards a prize of £500 to
the winner of this annual essaycompetition. In addition,
the essays are considered for publication in_German_
_History_journal.
Winners of the 2024 Postgraduate Essay Prize:
1st place: Jonathan Steuer (University of Oxford),
‘Petty crime in the early modern city: A comparative
analysis of Frankfurt am Main and Bristol’
2nd place (joint): Rory Hanna (University of Sheffield),
‘Early Democratisers?
West German Students’ Campaigns for Participation in
University Governance during the Late Adenauer Era’
2nd place (joint): Carl Julius Reim (UCL/QMUL),
‘Critical Solidarity: Adorno, the Darmstadt Avant-garde,
and the Administered World’
GHS Undergraduate Essay Prize
The German History Society offers an annual prize of
£300 for the best undergraduate dissertation on
German History written by a student of history (single
or joint honours, or in a cognate discipline) at a UK or
Irish university. Runner-up prizes of £100 each may
also be offered at the judges’ discretion. Prizes of £300
were awarded to:Connor Wimblett (University of
Edinburgh)for ‘“She Tries to Make a Whole Woman
Out
of
Me”:
Trans*
Sexuality
and
Womanly
Relationships in the Weimar Queer Press’;andJames
Walker (University of Cambridge)for ‘German Combat
Art and the Eastern Front, 1939–45’.
Rethinking German History Prize
The German History Society has launched a new prize
to recognise critical interventions in debates on gender,
minorities, migration, ethnicity, and equality, as well as
transnational and comparative history. The prize
welcomes work engaging with critical race studies,
LGBTQ+ and queer studies, and disability studies, in
relation to any aspect of the history of Germany and the
German-speaking world in its broadest global context.
The_Rethinking German History Prize_, worth £500, will
be
awarded
to
two
winners—one
in
the
undergraduate/Master’s category and one in the
PhD/postdoctoral category. It rewards written work that
draws on lesser-told histories within these fields to
challenge German historians to rethink how we
approach the discipline. The inaugural prizes will be
announced in autumn 2024.
_German History_Article Prize

Each year German History's editorial board awards a prize on the behalf of The German History Society for the best article published in the journal. The prize is intended to showcase outstanding work from scholars of German history whatever their career stage, and the winner is invited to receive their award at the annual meeting of the German History Society in September. The prize is worth £500, with an additional £250 of books provided by OUP. Oxford Journals makes the prize-winning articles freely available online. The winner of the prize in 2024 was Amelia Hutchinson, whose article ‘“Very full of details and excellently executed”: Materiality and medicine in Hans Rottenhammer’s painted bodies’ was published in German History 42(3), pp. 311–33. Journal The journal continues to experience a good flow of submissions, largely from early-career scholars based in the UK, US and Germany, although the regular submission of articles from further afield attests to the journal’s global reach. Four special issues are in development on climate change knowledge in Germanspeaking Europe 1750-1930, transnationalising German monarchies, 1848–1918, German colonial history, German anti-slavery societies in the nineteenth century, nineteenth-century German monarchy in transnational perspective, and Anglo-German empire between nationalist antagonism and transimperial Cooperation, 1895-1925. In terms of chronological range, they span early modern, modern and contemporary history. Publication slots are currently filled until early 2027. While the majority of articles submitted are by early-career scholars, there is also a regular flow of submissions by more senior scholars. In terms of subjects, the articles submitted cover the full range of German history from the early Middle Ages to the present. The journal thus continues to fulfil its mission to be the pre-eminent English-language journal for German history and to command respect throughout the world, including the German-speaking lands. Book Series The German History Society has established its own book series, Studies in German History, in collaboration with its long-standing publishing partner Oxford University Press. The series reflects the German History Society’s longstanding mission to promote the best scholarship in the broad field of German history, and seeks to build on the

innovative directions established by the Society’s journal in recent years.

Taking an open, expansive view of what German History is and where that history has been played out, it envisions a broad chronological and geographic scope that encompasses topics from the medieval period to the present day; it seeks to go beyond the traditional confines of German history by adopting a comparative approach or exploring themes that entwine the history of the German-speaking lands with that of other parts of the world; it aims to solicit titles that are intellectually ambitious, whether in their engagement with novel paradigms or their use of concepts and methods from other disciplines; and it seeks to publish work that reaches a readership beyond immediate specialists in a particular field. Above all, it seeks to publish work that engages with historical questions of wider relevance across German and other histories.

The series has now published a total of fourteen books, with two appearing during the reporting period: Keeping the Peace in the Village: Conflict and Peacemaking in Germany, 1650–1750 by Mark R. Foster and Intervention and The Other ’68: A Social History of West Germany’s Revolt by Christina von Hodenberg and Rachel Ward.

Our contract with OUP commits us to publishing two to four books per year. While we are still recovering from the post-pandemic lull, we currently have two more titles under contract.

Outreach

Jeff Bowersox and his committee have been working on two main outreach projects, all of which are ongoing.

  1. Glimpses of German History : Following the successful production of seven short films by members (available on the website) focusing on specific objects from German history and aimed at students and secondary school teachers, filming for a second set has now been completed. These new films will also be available on the GHS website and YouTube channel, alongside the original series.

  2. Creative Research Competition : Associated with the film series is a competition for secondary school students in the UK and Ireland, designed to foster interest in German history, language, and culture. Participants are invited to submit a creative research project inspired by themes from Glimpses of German History . The winner receives £250, with an

additional £250 awarded to their school to support the teaching of German history. This year’s winner—the competition’s inaugural recipient—was Mischa Bogue from Our Lady’s Secondary School, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan, Ireland. Her project, Cultural Patronage and Botanical Gardens: The Commissioning of the Eichstätt Garden Book during Early Modern Europe , was highly commended by the awarding committee.

We continue to encourage collaboration between GHS members and the Wiener Holocaust Library in London to run talks and workshops for students and teachers.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

----- Start of picture text -----
Achievements against
objectives set Para 1.41
Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set Para 1.41
Investment performance
against objectives Para 1.41
Other
----- End of picture text -----

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period
Para 1.21 Please find the detailed end of year financial
statement on the following pages.
Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held
Para 1.22 We continue to experience the longer impact
of the pandemic. Some projects, conferences,
postgraduate research plans involving travel,
as well as the language courses that we
support had been postponed, cancelled, or
took place online, and we continued to support
these projects if applicants wished to see the
money transferred into a new financial cycle.
We are proactively seeking to spend our
reserves and have this year (2023/24)
increased the value of the postgraduate
bursaries we dispense from £2,000 to £2,500
and significantly expanded the eligibility
criterion from within 2 years of passing the
PhD to within 5 years. We fund a very high
proportion of the applications for funding we
receive and continue to explore how to
increase the future volume of applications.
Amount of reserves held Para 1.22 See attached report.
Reasons for holding zero
reserves
Para 1.22 N/A
Details of fund materially in
deficit
Para 1.24 N/A
Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern
Para 1.23 N/A

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)
Para 1.47
Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted
Para 1.46
A description of the principal
risks facing the charity
Para 1.46
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s
trusts:
Type of governing
document
(trust deed, royal charter)
Para 1.25 Constitution
How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)
Para 1.25 Learned Society
Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees
Para 1.25 2.
Appointment of Trustees
2.1
For the purposes of this clause, a
“year” shall mean a complete period
of service between two AGMs.
2.2
The Trustees in office on the date of
adoption of this Constitution shall
remain in post until the expiry of their
term of office as determined under
the previous constitution (adopted on
1 September 2017), after which the
provisions of this Constitution shall
apply.
2.3
Officerships
2.3.1 The Members at AGM shall
elect individuals to the Fixed
Officerships
and
Further
Officerships
described
in
clauses of the Constitution
each for a non-renewable
term of three years.
2.3.2 After expiry of this three-year
term, the Fixed Officerships
and Further Officerships shall
retire from these positions
and shall not be eligible for re-
election to them, provided
that they shall be eligible for
election to other Officerships
or otherwise as Trustees,
subject to the time limits on
Trustee service under sub-
clause 2.6.
2.3.3 The terms of office of the
Chairperson
and
the
Secretary shall not normally
be co-terminous.
2.4 Ex-officio trustees
2.4.1 The Editors of the GHS
Journal
and
the
Series
Editors of Studies in German
History for the time being
(“the Ex-Officio Trustees”)
shall automatically, by virtue
of holding those offices, be
trustees.
2.4.2 If unwilling to act as a trustee,
an Ex-Officio Trustee may:
(a)
before
accepting
appointment
as
a
Trustee, give notice in
writing to the Trustees
of
his
or
her
unwillingness to act in
that capacity; or
(b)
after
accepting
appointment
as
a
Trustee, resign under
the
provisions
contained
in
Constitution
sub-
clause.
2.4.3 The office of that Ex-Officio
Trustee
will
then
remain
vacant until the office holder
ceases to hold office.
2.5 If
there
are
more
applications/nominations for the role
of Trustee than there are vacant
Trustee positions, the Secretary shall
prepare ballot papers for secret
elections at the AGM and shall act as
returning officer for the elections.
Each Member returning a ballot
paper at the AGM shall have as many
votes as there are vacancies.
2.6 Except for the Ex-Officio Trustees, no
Trustee shall serve for a period of
more than nine years except where
the
Trustees
determine
that
exceptional
circumstances
apply.
Service accrued prior to the adoption
of this Constitution shall not count for
the purposes of this sub-clause 2.6.
2.7 The Trustees and the Members shall
have regard to maintaining broad
representation
of
the
various
chronological periods of German
history in electing Trustees to the
Committee.
2.8 Every Trustee after appointment or
reappointment
must
sign
a
declaration of willingness to act as a
charity trustee of the Society before
he or she may act as a Trustee.
2.9 A technical defect in the appointment
of a Trustee of which the Trustees are
unaware at the time does not
invalidate decisions taken at a
meeting.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

----- Start of picture text -----
Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees Para 1.51
The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the Para 1.51
charity works
Relationship with any related
parties Para 1.51
Other
----- End of picture text -----

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name The German History Society
Other name the charity uses N/A
Registered charity number 1182341
Charity’s principal address c/o Professor Mark Hewitson (GHS Chair)
European and International Social and Political Studies,
University College London,
Gower Street,
London WC1E 6BT

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted
if not for
**whole year **
Name of person (or body) entitled
to appoint trustee (if any)
Mark Hewitson Chair
Marina Perez de
Arcos
Secretary
Chris Dillon Treasurer
Stefan Bruhn German Historical Institute
Representative
Edmund
Wareham
Watnitzek
Postgraduate Officer
Anna Ross Journal Editor
Joachim Whaley Journal Editor
Tim Grady Book Series Editor
Bridget Heal Book Series Editor
Caroline Sharples Schools and Outreach Officer
Joseph Cronin Postgraduate Prize Officer
Róisín Watson Undergraduate Prize

– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved

Director name

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets held in this capacity

Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects

Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of Name Address
adviser

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s)
Full name(s)
Position (eg Secretary,
Chair, etc)
Date
Marina Pérez de Arcos Mark Hewitson

Secretary
Chair
25 April 2025
25 April 2025

GERMAN HISTORY SOCIETY

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH JUNE 2024

PEACOCK ACCOUNTANCY INTERNATIONAL HOUSE KINGSFIELD COURT CHESTER BUSINESS PARK CHESTER CH4 9RF

GERMAN HISTORY SOCIETY

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH JUNE 2024

INCOME
Main funding subscriptions & royalties
Oxford University Press
German History Journal grants
Oxford University Press
GHS/DAAD language grants
Miscellaneous receipt
Bank interest
EXPENDITURE
Annual conference & AGM
Graduate Assistance Scheme
Post graduate bursaries - Major
Post graduate bursaries - Small
Hardship Grant
Ukranian Scholars at Risk
Exhibition Grant
GHS Award
GHS/DAAD language stipends
Essay Dissertation and Article prizes
Workshop
Glimpses of German History
Film Project
Journal costs
Admininstration
Committee travelling expenses
Website & domain costs
Social Media Officer
Zoom costs
Accountancy fee
Bank charges
Misc expenses
(DEFICIT/SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR
-
-
-
-
540
75
GENERAL
FUNDS
£
47,854
-
-
2,354
-
1,651
51,859
11,285
-
12,483
18,732
-
-
-
-
1,772
1,550
-
5,198
-
-
615
-
51,635
224
202
GERMAN
HISTORY
JNL
4
TOTAL
£
47,854
-
7,794
2,354
-
1,651
59,653
11,285
-
12,483
18,732
-
-
-
-
1,772
1,550
-
5,198
-
3,248
615
-
54,883
4,770
-
-
800
101
570
72
GENERAL
FUNDS
£
44,055
-
-
-
-
560
44,615
9,512
-
11,925
5,815
-
-
7,558
450
2,436
1,750
-
-
363
-
1,543
41,352
3,263
20
GERMAN
HISTORY
JNL
TOTAL
£
£
-
44,055
-
-
7,540
7,540
-
-
-
-
-
560
7,540
52,155
9,512
-
11,925
5,815
-
-
7,558
450
2,436
1,750
-
-
363
4,614
4,614
1,543
4,614
45,966
2,926
6,189
23
£
-
-
7,794
-
-
-
7,794
3,248
3,248
4,546

GERMAN HISTORY SOCIETY

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30TH JUNE 2024

CURRENT ASSETS
Bank balances - Deposit account
- Current account
- German History Journal acc
Debtor
CURENT LIABILITIES
Creditors
REPRESENTED BY
REVENUE ACCOUNTS
General Funds
AT 30 JUNE 2023
SURLPUS/DEFICIT FOR THE YEAR
German History Journal Fund
AT 30 JUNE 2023
SURPLUS/DEFICIT FOR THE YEAR
£
122,385
55,648
8,516
570
156,714
224
24,495
4,546
2
£
186,549
570
185,979
156,938
29,041
185,979
024
£
128,309
1,000
8,415
-
570
153,451
3,263
21,569
2,926
2
£
137,724
44,055
570
181,209
156,714
24,495
181,209
023

We have prepared, without audit, the foregoing accounts from the books and records of the Society and from the information and explanations given to us. In our opinion they give a true and fair view of the Societys affairs at 30th June 2023

Peacock Accountancy