History - Teacher Education Academic Secondary Education [Gymnasium]: Top Study Programs in Germany (2026/27)

Studying history to become a high school teacher means giving students the tools they need to understand the present through the lens of the past. As a history teacher, you don't just talk about past eras, you teach young people to critically question sources, change perspectives, and recognize historical contexts. In an age where fake news, historical revisionism, and political manipulation are omnipresent, this skill is more important than ever.

Studying history to become a high school teacher means giving students the tools they need to understand the present through the lens of the past. As a history teacher, you don't just talk about past eras, you teach young people to critically question sources, change perspectives, and recognize historical contexts. In an age where fake news, historical revisionism, and political manipulation are omnipresent, this skill is more important than ever. History lessons promote critical thinking, political awareness, and an understanding that the world we live in is not a given, but has developed historically. The course itself offers a fascinating journey through time: the spectrum ranges from antiquity to the Middle Ages and early modern times to contemporary and global history, supplemented by history didactics and the question of how historical learning can be successful. Excursions to historical sites, archival work, and engagement with memory culture make the course lively and practical. History is a core subject in high schools with stable demand, so employment opportunities are good in most states. If you enjoy telling and explaining stories, are enthusiastic about the big and small stories of humanity, and want to guide young people toward reflective historical thinking, a career in history teaching is a lasting one.