Historical understanding: past present and future 1. Introduction Zoltèn Boldizsár Simon (Leiden University Germany) and Lars Deilie (Bielfeld University Germany) Part I. The historical present the present of history. 1. Introduction Zoltèn Boldizsár Simon (Leiden University Germany) and Lars Deilie (Bielfeld University Germany) Historicity ; 1. Facing the present François Hartog (EHESS France) ; 2. Framing the polychronic present Victoria Fareld (Stockholm University Sweden) ; 3. Caught between part and future: on the uses of temporality for political exclusion Moira Pérez (University of Buenos Aires Argentina) ; 4. Understanding time layers in history: reflections on the stratigraphic mode Chris Lorenz (Ruhr University Bochum Germany) ; 5. Out of synchness Helge Jordheim (University of Oslo Norway) Part II. Historical studies. 6. Sizing up history Marnie Hughes Warrington (Australian National University Australia) ; 7. History of the present Stefanos Geroulanos (New York University USA) ; 8. Critical search and critical theory Jo Guldi (Southern Methodist University USA) ; 9. Theses on theory and history Ethan Kleinberg (Wesleyan University USA) Joan Wallach Scott (Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton USA); Gary Wilder (CUNY USA) Part III. History and the future. 10. Finally in finite: stop cannibalizing the future Lars Deile (Bielefeld University Germany) ; 11. More than human modalities of the future Marek Tamm (Tallinn University Estonia) ; 12. Planetary future planetary fistory Zoltǹ Boldizsár Simon (Leiden University Germany) and Lars Deilie (Bielfeld University Germany) ; 13. History with futures: or Where history of technology technology futures and technology assessment come together Silke Zimmer Merkle (Institute for Technology Karlsruhe Germany) ; 14. The historian as futurist David Staley (Ohio State University USA) ; 15. Anticipating periodization of the future Cornelius Holtorf (Linnaeus University Sweden) ; 16. Temporalities of heritage: constructing future histories Katie Digan (Ghent University Belgium) ; 17. Do we have a problem No we got our history! Franz Josef Arlinghaus (Bielefeld University Germany) ; 18. Reclaiming the past: towards a complex understanding of history Levke Harders (Bielefeld University Germany) ; 19. Historical understanding in theories of reconciliation after violent conflict: some reflections on a great enigma Berber Bevernage (Ghent University Belgium) ; 20. The Mirror metaphor and historys relation with the past Q. Edward Wang (Rowan University USA) ; 21. The difficulty of understanding Jörg van Norden (Bielefield University Germany) ; 22. Reenactments authenticity imperative Vanessa Agnew (University of Duisburg Essen Germany) ; 23. Double helix history Jermoe de Groot (University of Manchester UK) ; 24. Race and the new universal history Demetrius Eudell (Wesleyan University Germany). In this innovative collection of short essays Historical Understanding explores the current shape of historical understanding today. Boasting a range of contributions from leading scholars the volume focuses on the current shape of historical understanding providing an overview of a variety of historical relations to the past present and future in the face of socio political ecological and technological upheavals. With the continued questioning of the relevance of historical understanding this book provides a timely discussion of the philosophy of history in light of the current crisis of the humanities. As a compendium of expert views on the current shape of historical understanding it examines relations to the past present and future in human endeavors and various domains of human lives. Zoltǹ Boldizsr̀ Simon and Lars Deile have assembled an international team of experts working on historical understanding and the challenges it has increasingly come to face. Organised around three central themes: relations to the past both in academic history and wider sobriety; perceptions perceptions and pressing concerns for our present time and the question of presentism; and the prospect of history without a future and a future without history. This book is an invaluable research tool for students and researchers alike.