The commission for historical regional studies is an era, discipline and institutional global platform for regional related study research in Baden-Württemberg. It has the task of researching the history, area and population of South West Germany to encourage scientific work in these fields and to publish the results.

With editions of important historical documents, such as the origin of the constitution after 1945 or also the Cabinet transcripts from Baden, Württemberg-Baden and Württemberg-Hohenzollern 1945-1952, it also makes available documents for research as with the publication of rural sources of law, cultivable and stock books from the Middle Ages and early modern times. In addition, the commission publishes historical State studies, place name books and also biographic and bibliographic reference books and issues two newspapers related to State history and which are rich in tradition. Furthermore, it organises symposiums and conventions about the central subject of the historical regional studies of Baden-Württemberg.

The focus of research is the historical regional study of south west Germany from pre and early history via the Roman times to the present day. The historical atlas of Baden-Württemberg published in conjunction with the Landesvermessungsamt Baden-Württemberg, and the handbook of Baden-Württemberg published in several volumes between 1995 and 2007 by Verlag Klett-Cotta is expression of this comprehensive and strictly speaking extremely methodical approach about state history.

The historical-critical representation and recognition of the lives of important personalities, who were active in the south west specifically in the twentieth century, have been reported in over 2000 short biographies to date. They are published in a total of ten volumes of the series Badische Biographien Neue Folge, Baden-Württembergische Biographien and Württembergische Biographien.

The commission's target groups are not only the special scientific sectors but also the interested public.

The 1954 newly established Kommission für geschichtliche Landeskunde is successor to the Badische Historische Kommission (1883-1941), the Oberrheinische Historische Kommission (1941-1945) and the Württembergische Kommission für Landesgeschichte (1891-1954). It is comprised of a maximum of 60 appointed members resident and active in the State and an unlimited number of corresponding members from Baden-Württemberg, other States and neighbouring countries.

• Kommission für geschichtliche Landeskunde in Baden-Württemberg