Biographical Summary

Sabine Mecking is Professor of Regional and Contemporary History at the Philipps-Universität Marburg. She was previously a professor at the Hochschule für Polizei und öffentliche Verwaltung NRW in Duisburg. She has also held visiting and deputy professorships at the Universities of Düsseldorf, Copenhagen and Münster as well as the Charles University in Prague.

Research Project

• Security, Police and Urban Space
  The police as an institution, its tasks and its self-image have changed considerably in the Federal Republic of Germany from its beginnings to “reunification.” Different guiding principles and self-images as well as social expectations become apparent when police officers are referred to as “educators of the nation,” “friends and helpers,” “social engineers,” or “citizens in uniform.” The way in which the police define security and approach the population provides insights into the internal state of society, the political constitution, and the country's system of rule. The study of police security and protest management in the “old” Federal Republic is intended as a contribution to the history of security and democracy.