The history of technology and environmental history are currently among the most dynamic fields in the discipline of history. They are also among the most diverse: scholars have dealt with everything from steamships to zippers, from panda bears to turbocharged cows, from plastic bags to global warming. Both fields figure prominently in the ongoing globalization of historical research, and it is not difficult to see why. Modern technology has left its mark around the world, and environmental challenges have a baseline of similarities that provide a backbone for comparative and synthetic research.

Ruhr-University Bochum is unique among German universities in that it had a position for the history of technology from its inception. Since June 2023, Frank Uekötter has worked as professor for the history of technology and environmental history in Bochum with a goal of exploring the field in its full breadth and with an emphatically global approach. This site provides information on his team, current research, and English-language publications. For information on teaching, media coverage and other news, please consult the German version.