Today, anthropologists are expected to position themselves in relation to various social problems and debates. This reader offers the first overview of the diverse practices, formats and approaches with which the project of “public anthropology” is being implemented at anthropological institutes in Germany today.

In five sections – Publics, Collaborations, Positionings, Transformations and Mediation – authors from different career stages discuss practical examples of public anthropological work. They highlight both the scientific and social benefits of public anthropology as well as the challenges it poses.

With its sound conceptual framing, the reader provides students and researchers in anthropology with valuable background knowledge on (inter)national debates in the field of public anthropology. At the same time, it provides important resources for practical work in this field. It also offers suggestions for researchers and students of neighboring disciplines, as well as for social actors interested in public science in general.

The reader will be published Open Access by Campus Verlag in June 2025

Edited by Hansjörg Dilger, Gisela Welz, Beate Binder and Thomas G. Kirsch.