This socio-historical study examines the changing conditions of scientific work and the transformation of professional collaborations in basic research, using the Max Planck Society as an example in the second half of the 20th century. For the first time, the development of research personnel and the structural characteristics of individual professional groups are systematically analyzed. The aim is to understand the Max Planck Society as a social system and institution of excellent research and scientific innovation. The focus is on the conflicts among young researchers, the increasing use of fixed-term contracts, the recruitment of leading top researchers, and the demands for co-determination and the democratization of established hierarchies along sociopolitical lines of conflict.