The Department of Historical Musicology focuses on the music of the past and present within its complex social context. The range of topics covered extends from Baroque opera to research on Saint-Saëns, the musical avant-garde of the early 20th century, and contemporary music in Germany. Key research questions address migration, institutionalization, the culture of memory, performance spaces, and various power dynamics. A broad spectrum of methods—from foundational philological work to approaches in cultural studies—is applied, with particular emphasis on the performance and practical dimensions of music.