德国汉学相对于美、英、法等国来说起步较晚，但是近代以来德国汉学发展较快，在欧洲也比较有影响。德国汉学从着重于古代中国研究的汉学开始，直到近年来贴近现实的当代中国研究，更加注重当代中国时事政治、经济、商业贸易的观察和研究，学者和研究生们所从事的研究课题不仅“包罗万象”，而且具有鲜明的时代特色与阶段特征。汉学研究视角的变化是与中国同德国的政治关系和经济利益紧密联系在一起的。1949年至1989年的东西德汉学研究具有以下三方面的主要特征：1、这一时期的东西德汉学在面对中国时，凸显出了和美、英、法等汉学研究之学院研究与问题研究的很大区别。这一时期的两德汉学更多的表现在跨出学院门槛，与实际需要、社会现实和政治经济利益相结合并为其所影响与控制。来自社会主义阵营和资本主义阵营的意识形态认同与批判和西方的精神文化内在地交织并融合在一起，成为影响两德与中国关系发展与交流，并推动两德汉学思想与理论演进的一个重要维度。2、可以说，这一时期的两德汉学，接受了来自两种不同意识形态的制约与影响，从而呈现出不同的发展面貌。尤其是东德汉学并未借助来自学术或文化方面的动力，并不是以19世纪以来汉学研究中把以语言和哲学为主的倾向作为其发展路向的，而是转向对于现代中国的关注。可以说政治自始至终都是一个重要影响因素，这也造成了东德汉学的特殊性，同时也出现汉学研究的困境。3、这一时期的两德汉学具有非常独特的一面，尤其是东德汉学使整个汉学研究跳出了欧洲中心主义的立场。与中国同为社会主义阵营的东德，在苏联影响下，以同样的意识形态背景来审视出现巨变的当代中国，并以此反观传统的中国历史与文化。相反，在冷战思维下，处于资本主义阵营的西德则秉承了欧洲中心主义的立场，以相异的意识形态背景来审视中国的变化及发展，汉学发展和演变同样也与政治和经济有着较强的关联。所以东西德汉学研究在出发点和着眼点有着明显存在迥异之处，并且在其现实发展中汉学研究的侧重点亦有所不同，但对于现代中国的关照都有所强化。

The sinology in Germany started later than other eastern countries (e.g. British, French and American), but it grew fast and had great effect on Europe. The German sinology paid attention to the area that from the ancient Chinese sinology to the China studies for nowadays which was more closed to the reality. And they attached importance to contemporary research on politics, economics and commercial trade. The projects that researchers concerned on did not only with wide varieties, but also with age features. The research view of sinology changed with the relation between China and Germany, e.g. politics and economic interest between the two countries. The eastern and western Germany sinology had the following three characters from the year 1949 to 1989:1, The sinology in Germany and other western counties were differentiate apparently between academy research and questionnaire research in the period. The E. and W. Germany sinology performed more in stepping out of the academy field, connecting with reality need, social, politics and economic, and also affected with each other. The ideological and spiritual culture between socialist and capitalist party entangled each other, it was also a factor to impact relationship between the Germany (W. and E. Germany) and China, promoting the theory development of sinology in W. and E. Germany. 2, Because of restraining and influencing with two different consciousness, the W. and E. Germany sinology showed different features. Especially E. Germany sinology, they neither resorted to impetus of academics and culture, nor followed language and philosophy inclination which was a way that sinology researchers always did; it began to turn its concern to the contemporary China, and politics became the most important factors during the whole period, that also led to particularity of E. Germany sinology and dilemma in sinology research.3, The E. and W. Germany sinology had very unique side, especially E. Germany which made the sinology perspective distinctive from European-centerism. As the socialist party, E. Germany invested great change in contemporary China under the same ideology, and pondered the traditional Chinese history and culture. However, on the affection of the cold war mentality, W. Germany received the position of European-centerism and surveyed the change and development of China in a different ideology. Also, the development and evolution of sinology had relatively strong correlation to the politics and economics. Therefore, E. and W. Germany were obvious different in the starting point on the study of sinology.