Basic knowledge of historical political education 1

Civic education initiates and organizes educational processes that aim to determine our individual relationship to the political. It is based on the assumption that democrats are not simply born but that democracy must be learned anew from generation to generation. However political education is only one instance of political socialization alongside others. It competes with or interacts with other influencing factors. For example the media political parties and the immediate social environment also shape the political attitudes and decisions of each individual. Today political education is supported by numerous institutions with different ideological orientations. Over decades structures of self-organization and self-reflection have grown. A separate discipline has been able to establish itself which conducts ongoing debates about goals the selection of content and fields of action as well as the justification of principles and methods. All in all the professional landscape is quite complex compared to other countries. This study provides an introduction for those interested in historical political education.