In her introduction to the history of childhood, Martina Winkler provides a systematic overview of the fascinating questions and perspectives of historical childhood research. Inspired by various disciplines such as literary studies, sociology, and educational science, the history of childhood analyzes historical changes in how childhood has been conceived, lived, regulated, and represented. It examines the historical roots of current educational ideals and images of childhood, while also questioning fundamental breaks and often describing notions that fundamentally contradict today's assumptions. The frequently cited assumption that childhood is a modern invention, while children in the Middle Ages were merely "small adults," turns out to be not incorrect, but rather too simplistic. Childhood.