ABSTRACT
The history is not unlike that experienced in the United States: initial alignment with political science, evolving interdisciplinarity, debates about the merits of promoting peace psychology as yet another subdivision of the general field of psychology, the politicization within that general field of the term "peace", publication of field-defining handbooks, and strong alliances with other peace psychology organizations world-wide. Klaus Boehnke has gathered research articles from an excellent cross-section of German peace psychologists: established pioneers, creative and energetic newcomers, quantitative and qualitative analysts, and professionals whose careers evolved on each side of the former East-West national divide. We are indebted to Klaus Boehnke and his colleagues for their exceptional efforts in organizing this stimulating special issue, as well as to the numerous peace social scientists whose contributions illuminate a realm of peace research with which many of us are too little familiar.
