Today, we fear that human activity is irreversibly changing the climate for the worse. For centuries, however, the climate was a fact that could not be influenced by humans, yet it decisively shaped the course of history. Living spaces and agricultural opportunities changed with climate fluctuations, affecting the very foundation of human existence. How can we reconstruct climate development? What social, economic, and cultural impacts did climate fluctuations and climate-induced disasters have on people? And how were these climate changes perceived and interpreted? All three areas are addressed by Franz Mauelshagen, who has extensively studied climate and natural disasters in their historical context, from the beginning of the modern era to the early 20th century.