Vierteljahrshefte Fur Zeitgeschichte is an academic journal devoted to the study of contemporary history, which not only covers the history of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), but also extends its research horizon to modern history throughout Europe and globally. This expansion reflects the globalization of historical studies and the growing interest in transnational and cross-cultural historical phenomena.

The journal encourages scholars to adopt a global perspective to analyze historical events and explore the interconnections and influences between different countries and regions. This perspective of global history helps us to understand more fully the complexity and multi-dimensional nature of historical events and their continuing impact on the contemporary world. The scope of study is broad, but it has a particular focus on the study of European history. As the birthplace of modern history, Europe's historical development has a profound impact on the world. The journal publishes articles on the political, economic, social, cultural and environmental aspects of Europe, as well as its interaction with other regions.