In this volume the author studies the rise and development of the German social state up to 1914 in a European context. She asks what the conditions were that led to the development of a social democracy, the actual administrative practices and the fundamental repercussions for the nation of installing social insurance. She also touches on the particular situation of women and the role of healthcare politics. This study show that the German social state was an outgrowth of the existing social practices, and that its rise was part of an overall development throughout Europe.

Dr. Sandrine Kott ist Professorin für Moderne Europäische Geschichte an der Universität Genf.

This volume is a profound and broad study of the development and evolution of the German welfare state up to the year 1914. It offers an abundance of new findings concerning its administration and practice, including many case examples.>