German Colonialism and Identity Studies
German Colonialism and Identity Studies is a research topic within Literature and Literary Theory. Science Explorer counts 5k research works in it since 1950. 13.1% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.
This cluster of papers explores the intersections of colonialism, identity, and memory in German literature and history, with a particular focus on the impact of German colonial activities in Namibia. It delves into themes of race, gender, migration, nationalism, and postcolonialism, offering critical perspectives on the construction of identity in the context of colonial history.
- Colonialism
- Identity
- German Literature
- Postcolonialism
- Namibia
- Race
- Gender
- Cultural Memory
- Migration
- Nationalism
- Research works
- 5k fractional, since 1950
- In the world top 10%
- 657 per year above
- Top-10% rate
- 13.1% share of its works in the world top 10%
- Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
- +55% the tick is no change
Which countries lead German Colonialism and Identity Studies research?
By volume, Germany and the United States publish the most (647 and 169 works in 2022–2025).
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 Germany 647 works
- 2 United States 169 works
- 3 France 75 works
- 4 United Kingdom 71 works
- 5 Austria 62 works
- 6 Türkiye 46 works
- 7 Switzerland 45 works
- 8 Poland 32 works
- 9 Italy 23 works
- 10 South Africa 23 works
How concentrated that is
The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.
Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.
Which institutions lead German Colonialism and Identity Studies research?
By volume in 2022–2025, Universität Hamburg publishes the most German Colonialism and Identity Studies research, followed by Freie Universität Berlin and University of Vienna.
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 Universität Hamburg Germany 24 works
- 2 Freie Universität Berlin Germany 19 works
- 3 University of Vienna Austria 18 works
- 4 University of Cologne Germany 17 works
- 5 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Germany 16 works
- 6 Goethe University Frankfurt Germany 15 works
- 7 University of Freiburg Germany 15 works
- 8 Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Germany 14 works
- 9 Philipps University of Marburg Germany 13 works
- 10 Ruhr University Bochum Germany 13 works
Where is German Colonialism and Identity Studies research done?
The largest centres of German Colonialism and Identity Studies research in 2022–2025 are Berlin (Germany), Hamburg (Germany), Vienna (Austria) and Munich (Germany).
Largest cities, 2022–2025
Where is the best place to study German Colonialism and Identity Studies?
Among universities, judged by research, University of Freiburg, University of Potsdam and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.
One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.
| # | University | Score | Top 10% | Specialisation | Works | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Freiburg Germany | 80.7 | 20.5% | 29.0× | 15 | +480.6% |
| 2 | University of Potsdam Germany | 75.2 | 20.4% | 34.2× | 11 | +308.3% |
| 3 | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Germany | 74.1 | 15.3% | 27.1× | 14 | +195.2% |
| 4 | University of Bayreuth Germany | 72.9 | 26.0% | 47.9× | 12 | — |
| 5 | Universität Hamburg Germany | 72.4 | 5.6% | 29.8× | 24 | +418.5% |
| 6 | University of Vienna Austria | 71.2 | 12.7% | 25.9× | 18 | +102.3% |
| 7 | Bielefeld University Germany | 68.3 | 20.7% | 35.3× | 12 | +109.1% |
| 8 | University of Cologne Germany | 66.5 | 10.4% | 36.0× | 16 | +133.3% |
| 9 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Germany | 65.4 | 11.1% | 18.5× | 16 | +82.0% |
| 10 | Freie Universität Berlin Germany | 65.2 | 12.7% | 34.9× | 19 | +30.4% |
Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.
Is German Colonialism and Identity Studies research growing?
Output in 2018–2022 was 55% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2025. The fastest-growing topics are German Colonialism and Identity Studies.
The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.
Which topics inside it are moving
Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.