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‪The history of education in the German speaking world is characterised by a vibrant, interdisciplinary culture and a distinct preference for theoretical debates. However, as yet, school pupils have not been defined as a specific field of research. Nevertheless, research in the history of education looks at pupils through broad and heterogeneous approaches. Firstly, pupils are primarily seen as objects to be educated. They have been considered an indicator for describing the progress of (public) schooling, as well as a knowledge holder. Up to now, historical research has looked at how pupils have shaped the status of schooling or – conversely – how schooling has affected pupils’ everyday life. Secondly, we can see that pupils emerge as secondary objects indifferent social history studies. While scholars explore, for instance, the history of institutional violence or the progress of specific educational institutions, pupils are not their first concern, although they certainly do appear. Finally, current research increasingly considers pupils as stakeholders in their own right, with their own demands, their own practices and their own history. This recent development provides new opportunities for research, particularly if we move beyond institutions which fall within the general framework of compulsory education to include vocational education and training, higher education, continuing education and special needs education.‪