Franz Dorotheus Gerlach

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Franz Dorotheus Gerlach (born July 18, 1793 in Wolfsbehringen near Gotha , † October 31, 1876 in Basel ) was a Swiss classical philologist and ancient historian of German origin. The long-time professor at the University of Basel (1819–1875) dealt with Roman historians and early Roman history.

Life

Gerlach attended the Ernestinum Gotha , where his Latin teacher Friedrich Wilhelm Döhring (1756–1837) introduced him to the literature and language of the Romans. From 1813 Gerlach studied theology and philology, first at the University of Leipzig , then at the Georg-August University in Göttingen . He closely followed Arnold Heeren and turned to ancient history. After the exam (1816) he worked briefly as a collaborator at the Göttingen grammar school . But in 1817 he moved to Switzerland, where he got a job as a teacher at the Aarau Cantonal School . Two years later, in 1819, Gerlach was appointed to the newly established full professorship for Latin language and literature at the University of Basel . At the same time he became a teacher at the Basel Pedagogy. From 1829 he was appointed head of the university library (as senior librarian) and elected to the education council (1835). In 1833 he was naturalized in Basel . Gerlach worked for many years in Basel and served several times (1837, 1847, 1848 and 1863) as rector of the university. One of his youngest colleagues was Friedrich Nietzsche , who was appointed professor for Greek language and literature in 1869. It was not until 1875, at the age of 82, that Gerlach resigned from his office.

Since moving to Basel, Gerlach has made numerous writings. He wrote a critical text edition by the Roman historian Sallust in three volumes (1823–1831) and an edition with translation and commentary on the Germania des Tacitus (1835–1837), in which Wilhelm Wackernagel is named as co-editor ; However, this had withdrawn his cooperation. Gerlach's achievement as an ancient historian is similarly important. His most important works are the Historical Studies in Three Volumes (1841–1863), The Historians of the Romans except Orosius (1855), Prehistory, Foundation and Development of the Roman State in Outlines (1863) and Fr. Cornelius Scipio and his time (1868 ). His large-scale work The History of the Romans , which he wrote together with Johann Jakob Bachofen , remained unfinished; only the first volume, which dealt with the period from early history to the royal era , appeared in two parts in 1851. The Roman History of Theodor Mommsen , which appeared a few years later (1854–1856), made a continuation of the work unnecessary.

His estate is in the Basel University Library .

Honors

In 1876 Ferdinand Schlöth commissioned a monument bust of Gerlach for the auditorium of the museum on Augustinergasse .

literature

Web links

Wikisource: Franz Dorotheus Gerlach  - Sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. Stefan Hess / Tomas Lochman (eds.), Classical beauty and patriotic heroism. The Basel sculptor Ferdinand Schlöth (1818–1891) , Basel 2004, p. 174f.