The history of science as a discipline took place in the period of the German Empire, but the historiography of its development insufficiently recognizes both its proto-institutionalization during this period and the critical role played by Germans in effecting its initial development. In this article, while alluding to the several areas in which Germans took the lead in establishing the discipline, the focus is on one representative area: the mounting of temporary and permanent exhibitions relating to the history of science during the Empire period. Reasons why Germans were motivators in these efforts include the importance of past and present excellence in science, eminence in and fascination with historical research to the new nation’s construction after German unification in 1871, and of the assertion of the nineteenth century German bourgeoisie in its role in advancing the culture of the nation. The larger argument, that subjects of the German Empire achieved critical institution-building in history of science, is supported by the incidence of displays organized by Germans, and buttressed by the fact that a number of these organizers also participated in the field’s enlarged late nineteenth and early twentieth century scholarship that was most marked among Germans of any national group.

科学作为一门学科的历史发生在德意志帝国时期，但其发展史学没有充分认识到这一时期的原始制度化以及德国人在影响其初始发展中所发挥的关键作用。在这篇文章中，虽然提到了德国人率先建立学科的几个领域，但重点是一个代表性领域：与帝国时期科学史相关的临时和永久展览的安装。德国人成为这些努力的推动者的原因包括过去和现在在科学方面的卓越成就、对历史研究的杰出和着迷对 1871 年德国统一后新国家的建设的重要性，以及 19 世纪德国资产阶级在推动民族文化方面的作用的断言。德意志帝国的主体在科学史中实现了重要的制度建设这一更大的论点得到了德国人组织的展览的发生率的支持，并得到了以下事实的支持：其中一些组织者也参与了该领域扩大的 19 世纪后期和 20 世纪初的奖学金，在任何民族群体的德国人中最为显着。