Geography after German reunification

The relatively recent institutionalisation of geography, mainly in Germany, is the result of a continuous and dialectical process of reflection and systematisation of ideas, the fruit of countless technological, material and aesthetic advances linked to a remarkable political and economic context, which began more precisely with the advent of modern thought in Europe and the consolidation of capitalism. Some theoretical concepts contributed to different processes that influenced the constitution of the theoretical framework in the institutionalisation of geography as a discipline in diverse and complex ways. To understand the nuances of this remarkable but still little-studied process, this dissertation will seek to demonstrate that the work and practices of Oscar Peschel, Friedrich Ratzel and Alfred Hettner allowed for the consolidation of a programme and methodology for geographical studies, guided by the influence of Positivism, Darwinism and Imperialism in the process of institutionalising Geography in Germany at the turn of the 19th century.