Mondes allemands: histoire des idées et des représentations (Research Unit: German Worlds: A History of Ideas and Representations - EA 1577) is a research unit composed primarily of lecturers from the Department of German Studies of Paris 8 University. It was founded in the 1990s by Jacques Le Rider (now Director of Studies at EPHE).

This Research Unit specialises in the history and ideas of German-speaking countries, particularly from the 18th and 19th centuries, with the Goethe era (Goethezeit, 1749-1832) at its core. This period covers the greatest period of growth for German philosophy, from the Aufklärung (German Enlightenment) to the great figures of German Idealism (Kant, Herder, Fichte, Schelling, Hegel). Some of the Unit’s group projects and the individual work of its members extend beyond this historical timeline.

The research is in close contact with the fields of philosophy and the history of political thought, thus involving both an interdisciplinary openness and ideas of exchange (between Germany and France but also between other cultures: Germany - Great Britain, Germany - Italy, for example).

The work of the Research Unit focuses, first and foremost, on the history of ideologies. The Unit’s best results have been achieved in this field and have gained worldwide recognition. EA 1577 has also regularly expanded into other disciplines, including philosophy, history, Jewish studies, comparative literature and political science. The primary beneficiary of the Unit’s work is the international research community as evidenced by the numerous publications in French, German and English (some studies have also been translated into other languages, such as Italian and Polish). It has also participated in a large number of events in Europe, North America and Asia. As a host team, the Research Unit’s role is also to conduct high-level scientific research and thus provide high-quality training in and through research. In this regard, the Unit’s activities are aimed at doctoral students. Doctoral students are naturally involved in all these activities, not only as the audience of the seminars but also as speakers. Doctoral students are encouraged and supported, both intellectually and financially, so they can participate in seminars in France and abroad, as well as publish their own articles and papers.