The sociology journal Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie (KZfSS) ("Cologne Journal of Sociology and Social Psychology") was founded in 1948 by the Cologne sociologist Leopold von Wiese as the Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie. His successor, René König, broadened the journal's scope towards social psychological topics, including cultural sociology and qualitative social research, which gave the journal its current name.

KZfSS is the most important sociological publication in the German-speaking world in terms of its scope and distribution. It publishes comprehensively on German sociological research in all disciplines and regularly communicates research results from many countries around the world.

KZfSS follows the model of a universal sociology journal. In addition to more than 40 double-blind peer-reviewed original research articles per year, it publishes detailed literature reviews and book reviews of German and international literature in a comprehensive review section. The journal thus provides a forum for sociological research and open discussion. Special emphasis is placed on offering young colleagues an opportunity for their first publication.

The journal is included in many renowned scientific Abstracting & Indexing databases such as the Social Science Citation Index.

In addition to the four annual issues, a supplement coordinated by guest editors is published annually.