What is AKKU?

The »Arbeitskreis für kritische Unternehmens- und Industriegeschichte e.V.« (Association for Critical Business History) was founded 1989 in Bochum; today it has more than 100 members. AKKU represents a network of university-based and independent researchers and students who are interested in business history.

The Association aims at theoretically oriented research; it is particularly interested in innovative research questions and analytical strategies, and it creates a productive environment for young researchers. AKKU connects researchers of different disciplines including history, economics, sociology, political sciences, and anthropology, and it thus has a strong impact on the transdisciplinary development of business history.

Back in 1989, »critical business history« was a new perspective to overcome antiquated and apologetic traditions by using up-to-date scholarly research methods and also to better understand the economic, social, cultural, and political embeddedness of companies. It is gratifying for AKKU that this approach is now rarely challenged.

AKKU is a registered association and run honorarily by active members. Individual membership is 25 Euros per year (students pay 12,50 Euro).

The managing board of the association consists of seven people:

Nina Kleinöder (Chair, Marburg)

Christian Marx  (Treasurer, München/Trier)

Rouven Janneck (Secretary, München)

Yassin Abou El Fadil (Göttingen)

Stina Barrenscheen (Göttingen)

Juliane Czierpka (Bochum)

Martin Lutz (Berlin)