Lectures and Seminars in German Universities on the Sciences of State, 1820-1914

This study investigates the progression of academic disciplines in German universities during the period 1820-1914. The disciplines examined were a constellation of subjects known as the Staatswissenschaften, or the "sciences of state". This group of disciplines, originating under the name of cameralism, included such varied subjects as economics, finance, politics, agriculture, technology, statistics, and constitutional law. The purpose of this study was to indicate how these subjects shifted over time, with some migrating to other fields, others becoming more specialized, and still others becoming obsolete. The dataset contains a compilation of lectures and seminars culled from German (boundaries of 1871) university catalogs and related sources. Variables include course number, taxonomy code, cross-reference heading, semester date, university, region, and frequency. Two data supplements are also included. Part 2, Supplemental Law Data File, lists lectures found under law faculties (1820-1910), while Part 3, Supplemental Technology Data File, lists lectures from the natural sciences that concerned technology (1820-1880).