Why is German vocational education and training the way it is today? In a spirit of self-examination, the articles in this issue have a retrospective focus. Starting out from issues of current relevance, they trace lines of development in vocational education and training in Germany. Themes include structural questions in the development of training regulations, guiding visions in vocational pedagogy, the role identity of in-company training staff, developmental lines in vocational education research, and a first attempt to trace the transformation process of East German vocational education following German reunification.“To envision the origins and historical developments is a genuine component of professionalism” writes BIBB’s Head of Research, Prof. Dr. Reinhold Weiss, in his editorial. With that in mind, this issue of BWP is an invitation to engage in self-reflection, which inspires us to overcome present and future challenges.Other articles in the issue engage with the company-specific determinants associated with the early dissolution of apprenticeship contracts, and why German qualifications framework (DQR) levels should be shown on diplomas.