Heinz Schilling (born 23 May 1942) is a German historian specializing in early modern European history. His research focuses on the Reformation, confessionalization, political culture, migration, and the development of modern state structures in Europe.
Early life and education
Schilling was born in Bergneustadt, Germany, and grew up in Cologne. He studied history, German language, philosophy, and sociology at the University of Cologne, completing a state teaching certification. He earned his doctorate in 1971 at the University of Freiburg with a dissertation on the social and religious history of Dutch exiles, supervised by Gottfried Schramm.
Academic career
- 1971‑1979: Assistant and lecturer in medieval and early modern history at the University of Bielefeld, where he completed his habilitation (1977‑78) on territorial societal history and confessionalization.
- 1979‑1982: Professor of early modern history, University of Osnabrück.
- 1982‑1992: Professor of early modern history, University of Giessen.
- 1992‑2010: Held the chair of early modern European history at the Institute of Historical Studies, Humboldt University of Berlin, retiring after the 2010 summer semester.
Research interests
Schilling’s work covers a comparative study of Europe in the early modern period, including:
- The international system and the political and cultural origins of national identity.
- The history of the Holy Roman Empire and its constituent territories.
- Immigration and minority communities in early modern Germany, England, and the Netherlands.
- Urban and bourgeois life, the Reformation, and the process of confessionalization.
- The social and cultural history of Calvinism from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
- Early modern modernization in Germany and the Netherlands.
Honors and memberships
- Member, Berlin‑Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (since 1996).
- Chair, scholarly committee for the European exhibition “1648 – War and Peace in Europe” (1998‑99).
- Chair, German branch of the Society for Reformation Research (since 2001).
- Dr A. H. Heineken Prize for History, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (2002).
- Fellow, Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (2003‑04).
- Foreign member, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (2004).
- Fellow, Historisches Kolleg, Munich (2004‑05).
- Corresponding member, British Academy (since 2004).
- Member, Academia Europaea (since 2005).
- Honorary doctorate (Dr. theol. honoris causa), University of Göttingen (2009).
Selected works
- Niederländische Exulanten im 16. Jahrhundert (1972).
- Konfessionskonflikt und Staatsbildung (1981).
- Bürgerliche Eliten in den Niederlanden und in Nordwestdeutschland (1985).
- Religion, Political Culture and the Emergence of Early Modern Society (1992).
- Die neue Zeit: Vom Christentumseuropa zum Europa der Staaten, 1250‑1750 (1999).
- Martin Luther: Rebel in an Age of Upheaval (English translation, 2017).
Schilling is recognized for his contributions to the understanding of religious and political transformations in early modern Europe and for integrating comparative and transnational perspectives into German historiography.