“A close-up look permits us to grasp what eludes a comprehensive viewing, and vice versa.” – Carlo Ginzburg

Microhistory opens up new and unusual perspectives through the meticulous reconstruction of individual fates and seemingly unimportant events. More than a chronicle of the basic experiences of ordinary people, microhistory seeks insights into major political events, societal transformations, and ideological movements by viewing them through the prism of everyday lives and peripheral details.

Work in progress:

Martin Schaad is currently preparing a book about a number of witch trials on the island of Poel in the baltic sea, which reveal late 17th century jurisprudence to have been highly susceptible to manipulation from below.