ABSTRACT
This introducing chapter deals with aspects of historical development as well as current frameworks of ECEC in Germany. In each national context, the establishment of ECEC is characterized by specific developments and forms of institutionalization. However, the chapter is not to be understood as encompassing all aspects of the prevailing social and political framework and occasionally competing public expectations and attributions of functions. Rather, it aims to show how the specific developments are embedded in and connected with transnational issues. The aim of this contribution is to introduce the book and to provide an international readership with a first summary of some key national debates on ECEC in Germany. To this end, four thematic main areas are introduced: historical development (1), legal frameworks and organizational forms of ECEC in Germany (2), current trends in ECEC in Germany (3), and professionalization in ECEC in Germany (4). These four main areas will be explored in greater depth in further contributions to the book.
