The development of German political sociology in the 20th century is as complex as the history of Germany itself. Political sociology in the phase "between national socialism and real socialism" has well been analyzed (Nedelmann, 1997). In this article we will therefore primarily focus on its development over the past three decades. Since the end of the 1980s a new phase of professionalization of political sociology can be observed. In order to understand the current situation of political sociology in Germany we will analyze the subject in five sections. The article will at first give a brief historical overview about the formation of political sociology in Germany since 1945. The focus will then be set on recent developments of political sociology since the end of the 1980s. Only then political sociology became an independent section in the German Sociological Association and the German Association of Political Sciences. Third, the field will be analyzed by reviewing the situation of political sociology at German universities, their fields of work, their faculties, their courses and research priorities. It can be shown that the topics of political sociology reach out into many areas of sociology and political science, but that political sociology has not become a discipline by itself in the university system. In a brief excursus we will look into public administration as a research topic of political sociology. Finally conclusions on political sociology in Germany will be discussed.
German political sociology; Political Science; Interdisciplinarity