Einleitung: History matters ... so what? Das Pfadkonzept und die Stadtgeschichte

Abstract

The introduction sketches path-dependency's conceptual background in economics and social sciences. In a first step, the introduction discusses the concept's multi-disciplinary history in economics, history, sociology, and social and political sciences. In doing so, its key elements are carved out. In the following, the introduction discusses the particular potential of path-dependency for urban history. This discussion emerges from a comparison with the sociological concept of the 'intrinsic logic of the city' ('Eigenlogik der Städte'). Afterwards, the concept's particular properties for (urban-)historical research are considered in more detail. Special emphasis is put on constellations of actors and critical junctures. Both serve as crucial tools for analyses of persistence and change in cities over time.