ABSTRACT
The present chapter approaches the research field of government and administration from the perspectives of contemporary ethnological findings as well as early approaches to historical and theoretical research in 19th-century European administrative science. It begins by discussing the two main types of oligarchic and monarchical “constitutions” from medieval European history and then looks in more depth at the typical functions, situations, and actions from the perspective of a civil servant. This leads to the identification of problems that are still relevant for reflection on administrative practices and the status of civil servants today.
