Dietrich Bartels

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dietrich Bartels (born February 27, 1931 in Bochum ; † August 25, 1983 in Kiel ) was a German geographer and university professor.

His 1968 published Habilitationsschrift to scientific theoretical foundation of a geography of the people was an important point of departure times of internal disputes about the purpose, research interest and methodology of geography and represents one of the most important theoretical works in German geography after World War II. Starting from the scientific theory of critical rationalism and of spatial analysis , an influential geography movement in the English-speaking world, Bartels himself took the position that economic and social geography should be viewed as an action-oriented spatial science , and called for a turn to analytical-pragmatic thinking and an increased use of quantitative methods within the Subject.

Life

Dietrich Bartels was born in Bochum in 1931 as the son of the lawyer and CDU politician Wolfgang Bartels . After graduating from the Theodor-Körner-Schule , he completed a degree in economics at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg in 1955 . Two years later , Bartels did his doctorate under Erich Otremba , at that time one of the most renowned economic geographers in the German-speaking area, at the University of Hamburg . From 1960 he was his scientific assistant, in 1963 Bartels followed him to the University of Cologne . The habilitation , also examined by Otremba, followed in 1967 with the epistemological work on the epistemological foundation of a human geography .

After working as a lecturer in Cologne from 1967 to 1970, he was appointed to the chair for cultural and social geography at the University of Karlsruhe in 1970 . He stayed there for three years before taking up the newly established chair for geography at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Kiel University in 1973 . From 1978, Bartels also belonged to the interdisciplinary institute for regional research at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, of which he served as dean in 1980/81. In the legislative period of the German Bundestag from 1976 to 1980 he was a member and temporarily deputy chairman of the Advisory Board for Spatial Planning. In 1983 Bartels died after a short illness at the age of 52 in Kiel .

plant

The focus of Bartels' post-doctoral thesis on the epistemological foundation of a human geography is the mathematical-systematic derivation of a model for spatial organization according to the principle of class logic , through which he tried to define geography as a chorological discipline, i.e. as spatial science . In doing so, he explicitly opposed the synthesis of landscapes as a (supposedly) scientific method with which German-speaking geography ( landscape geography ), in search of its own research subject, both with regard to other sciences and to other language traditions of thought within geography maneuvered offside. Bartels diagnosed while within the compartment a similar relationship with the regionalism as within the historical studies to Historismus exists, with the result that the elaboration of the uniqueness of the reference regions negligible on generally accepted theories. In practice, the synthesis of “total” sensual impressions that people form of the world continues to play a role as part of everyday experience, but only in a pre- or post-scientific way, that is, both as a representation of human “life interests” also as a goal of representing the subject.

The work, published in 1968 as part of the Geographical Knowledge supplement series of the Geographische Zeitschrift , initially received little attention. When the design of the new diploma course in geography was discussed at the German Geographers 'Day in Kiel in 1969, student representatives took this as an opportunity to problematize the lack of social relevance of landscape science teaching with reference to Bartels' post-doctoral thesis. In the further discussion of Bartels' theses, the focus was primarily on disciplinary-political aspects, especially since he himself addressed these (including the recognition of irreconcilable contradictions between natural and cultural and social sciences) in a programmatic form in the essay The future of geography as a problem of theirs positioning formulated.

Bartels' closeness to spatial analysis was reflected, among other things, in the anthology, economic and social geography, consisting mostly of translated articles by English-speaking authors, and the translation of Peter Haggett's book Locational Analysis in Human Geography . In its scientific-theoretical foundation, however, his approach to geography, which was influenced by Hans Albert and others , went beyond spatial analysis . Bartels' essay Between Theory and Metatheory (in a translated and expanded version), published in 1970, was probably his most highly regarded work in the English-speaking world. In it he outlined the four levels of critical rationality that socially responsible science must observe.

In the following years Bartels was mainly concerned with the practical implementation of his ideas. Initially, especially during his time in Karlsruhe, this concerned geography didactics . In 1975 the pilot book for the study of geography, written together with Gerhard Hard , was published as a subject . This was followed by a phase in which Bartels dealt with questions of spatial planning. In the last years of his life he also dealt with the topic of homeland awareness.

Act

Bartels had a great influence on the development of German-speaking university geography and he succeeded in opening up a new conceptual approach to the subject with spatial science . However, the epistemological implications of his train of thought and the hermeneutically oriented way with which he tried to embed his work in the overall work of the discipline despite the break with landscape science , were comparatively neglected, although it was precisely these that set his work apart from spatial analysis . Only ten years after the publication of On the Theoretical Foundations of a Geography of Man , there were already complaints that the development co-initiated by Bartels "came to a standstill halfway through". This became evident not least with the publication of the book Theoretical Geography by Eugen Wirth , when Bartels reacted with a clear condemnation to his attempt to combine regional and landscape studies with spatial science ideas.

In addition, he did not lead any of his “students” to habilitation during his lifetime. Bartels examined the habilitation theses of Dietrich Wiebe and Eckart Dege as well as the dissertation of the later politician and diplomat Yu Woo-ik , none of which belonged to his closer “student group”. Benno Werlen can be seen as the most influential “student” of Bartels in geography in the broader sense . He was his assistant for a year and developed the concept of action-oriented spatial science into spatial science . The application of quantitative methods in geography for the statistical analysis of spatial distribution and relationship patterns, which had already found its way into German-speaking geography not least through Dieter Steiner , was continued by Gerhard Bahrenberg and Ernst Giese , among others . In 1987 a commemorative publication was published dedicated to the work of Dietrich Bartels, edited by Bahrenberg and Gerhard Hard.

Spatial science was mainly criticized for naming the problem of incomprehensible regionalization processes and bringing it to a different level of abstraction, but ultimately not solving it: space is assumed as an explanatory factor that determines human activity . Instead of interpreting spatial distances as the consequences of specific social and economic processes, Bartels' model remains stuck in physical-material space.

Publications

Monographs

  • Neighboring cities: A settlement-geographic study based on selected examples from western Germany . Federal Institute for Regional Studies and Spatial Research, Bad Godesberg 1960 (dissertation).
  • For the theoretical foundation of a human geography . Franz Steiner Verlag, Wiesbaden 1968 ( Geographic Knowledge - Geographical Journal, Supplements No. 19, Habilitation Thesis).
  • Pilot book for studying geography as a subject . Association for the Promotion of Regional Scientific Analyzes, Bonn / Kiel 1975 (with Gerhard Hard ).

Anthologies

  • Economic and social geography . Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 1970.
  • Habitat Northern Germany . University of Kiel, Kiel 1984, ISBN 3-923887-03-5 ( Kieler geographical writings no.61 , edited with Ulf Hahne ).

Articles (selection)

  • The future of geography as a problem of determining its position. In: Geographische Zeitschrift 56, No. 2, 1968, ISSN  0016-7479 , pp. 124-142.
  • Turkish guest workers from the Izmir region: On the spatiotemporal differentiation of the determinants of their decision to leave. In: Erdkunde 22, Nr. 42, 1968, ISSN  0014-0015 , pp. 313-324.
  • Theoretical Geography: On Recent English-Language Literature. In: Geographische Zeitschrift 57, No. 2, 1969, ISSN  0016-7479 , pp. 132-144.
  • Geographical aspects of social science innovation research. In: Wolfgang Meckelein and Christoph Borcherdt (eds.): Deutscher Geographentag Kiel 1969 , Franz Steiner Verlag, Wiesbaden 1970, pp. 283-298 ( Deutscher Geographentag: Conference Report and Scientific Treatises No. 37).
  • Between theory and metatheory. In: Geographische Rundschau 22, 1970, ISSN  0016-7460 , pp. 451-457 ( Between theory and metatheory. In: Richard J. Chorley (Ed.): Directions in Geography . Methuen, London 1973, pp. 23-42 ).
  • Difficulties with the concept of space in geography. In: Geographica Helvetica, supplement 29, no. 2/3, 1974, ISSN  0016-7312 , pp. 7-21.
  • The delimitation of planning regions in the Federal Republic of Germany - an operationalization task. In: Academy for spatial research and regional planning (ed.): Balanced functional areas: Basics for a regional policy of the middle way . Schroedel, Hannover 1975, ISBN 3-507-91508-1 , pp. 93-115 ( publications of the Academy for Spatial Research and Regional Planning: Research and Session Reports No. 94).
  • Spatial aspects of social disparities. In: Communications of the Austrian Geographical Society No. 120, 1978, ISSN  0029-9138 , pp. 227–242.
  • Theories of national settlement systems and spatial planning policy. In: Geographische Zeitschrift 67, No. 2, 1979, ISSN  0016-7479 , pp. 110-146.
  • The Conservative Embrace of the “Revolution”: On Eugen Wirth's attempt in 'Theoretical Geography'. In: Geographische Zeitschrift 68, No. 2, 1980, ISSN  0016-7479 , pp. 121-131.
  • Human territoriality and the task of local history. In: Wolfgang Riedel (Ed.): Home Consciousness: Experiences and Thoughts , Husum Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft, Husum 1981, ISBN 3-88042-150-1 , pp. 7-13.

Others

  • Peter Haggett : Introduction to the cultural and socio-geographic regional analysis . Translated from the English by Dietrich Bartels and Barbara and Volker Kreibich. W. de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1973, ISBN 3-11-001630-3 (English Locational Analysis in Human Geography . Edward Arnold, London 1965).

Remarks

  1. ↑ Wirth literally names (p. 2) the "modern language high school Bochum-Dahlhausen"
  2. ↑ As Bahrenberg and Hard (p. 3–4) emphasize, this is a continuation of the scientific examination of regionalist terms from everyday language, not the alleged return to such terms as scientifically usable categories, as Wirth (p. 11 –12) suggests.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Eugen Wirth : Dietrich Bartels (1931–1983) , pp. 1–9.
  2. ↑ Jürgen Deiters : Dietrich Bartels †. In: Location: Journal for Applied Geography , p. 40.
  3. ↑ On the epistemological foundation of a geography of humans , 1968, pp. 7, 56–57, 74–120.
  4. ↑ ibid .: 58-59
  5. ↑ ibid .: 47
  6. ↑ ibid .: 51-52
  7. ↑ cf. Gerhard Bahrenberg and Gerhard Hard : Dietrich Bartels - instead of an appreciation , 1987, p. 3.
  8. ^ Geosciences Association: Inventory of the situation in German school and university geography. Pp. 199-201.
  9. ^ On the epistemological foundation of a human geography , 1968, pp. 9-17.
  10. ↑ cf. Gerhard Bahrenberg and Gerhard Hard, 1987, pp. 2-3.
  11. ^ Between theory and metatheory , 1973
  12. ^ Richard Peet : Modern Geographical Thought , 1998, p. 22.
  13. ↑ Eugen Wirth, 1984, pp. 7-8.
  14. ↑ cf. Benno Werlen : Sozialgeographie , 2008, pp. 183–214.
  15. ^ Gerhard Bahrenberg and Gerhard Hard, 1987
  16. ^ Gerhard Bahrenberg, 1979, p. 60.
  17. ↑ The Conservative Embrace of the “Revolution”: On Eugen Wirth's attempt in 'Theoretical Geography' , 1980
  18. ↑ Eugen Wirth, 1984, pp. 13, 22.
  19. ↑ Curriculum Vitae (PDF; 906 kB) by Benno Werlen
  20. ↑ Benno Werlen, 2008, pp. 278–279.
  21. ↑ Dieter Steiner : The factor analysis - a modern statistical aid of the geographer for the objective division of space and type formation , 1965
  22. ^ Ernst Giese : Development and research status of quantitative geography in the German-speaking area , 1980; on Bartels' role see in particular p. 260.
  23. ↑ Harald Bathelt and Johannes Glückler : Wirtschaftsgeographie (2nd ed.), 2003, pp. 21-22.

swell

(Only the secondary literature used is listed; the primary literature cited in the text can be found under the specified publications )

  • Gerhard Bahrenberg : From anthropogeography to regional research - an interim balance. In: Peter Sedlacek (ed.): On the situation of German geography ten years after Kiel , University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück 1979, ISBN 3-922043-01-1 , pp. 59-68 ( Osnabrück studies on geography No. 2).
  • Gerhard Bahrenberg and Gerhard Hard : Dietrich Bartels - instead of an appreciation. In: Gerhard Bahrenberg and Gerhard Hard (Hrsg.): Geographie des Menschen: Dietrich Bartels zum Gedenken , University of Bremen, Bremen 1987, ISBN 3-88722-168-0 , pp. 1–5 ( Bremen contributions to geography and spatial planning No. 11).
  • Harald Bathelt and Johannes Glückler : Wirtschaftsgeographie (2nd edition), Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-8252-8217-1 .
  • Jürgen Deiters : Dietrich Bartels †. In: Location: Journal for Applied Geography 7, No. 3, 1983, ISSN  0174-3635 , pp. 40–41.
  • Geosciences Association: Inventory of the situation in German school and university geography. In: Wolfgang Meckelein and Christoph Borcherdt (eds.): Deutscher Geographentag Kiel 1969 . Franz Steiner Verlag, Wiesbaden 1970, pp. 191–207 ( German Geographers' Day : Conference Report and Scientific Treatises No. 37).
  • Ernst Giese : Development and research status of quantitative geography in the German-speaking area. In: Geographische Zeitschrift 68, No. 4, 1980, ISSN  0016-7479 , pp. 256-283.
  • Richard Peet : Modern Geographical Thought . Blackwell, Malden / Oxford / Melbourne / Berlin 1998, ISBN 1-55786-378-4 .
  • Dieter Steiner : The factor analysis - a modern statistical aid of the geographer for the objective spatial division and type formation. In: Geographica Helvetica 20, No. 1, 1965, ISSN  0016-7312 , pp. 20-34.
  • Benno Werlen : Social geography (3rd edition). Haupt Verlag, Bern / Stuttgart / Vienna 2008, ISBN 978-3-8252-1911-6 .
  • Eugen Wirth : Dietrich Bartels (1931–1983). In: Geographische Zeitschrift 72, No. 1, 1984, ISSN  0016-7479 , pp. 1-22.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Bartels, Dietrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German geographer
DATE OF BIRTH February 27, 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH Bochum
DATE OF DEATH August 25, 1983
Place of death Kiel