Hans Achelis

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Hans Achelis, church historian in Leipzig

Hans Georg Achelis (born March 16, 1865 in Hastedt , † February 25, 1937 in Leipzig ) was a Protestant theologian , church historian , Christian archaeologist and university professor.

biography

Hans Achelis was born as the son of the Protestant theologian, pastor and professor of practical theology and university preacher in Marburg Ernst Christian Achelis . Since 1897 Hans Achelis was married to Johanne (Hanna) geb. Noltenius (* 1872) and had three children, including the physiologist Johann Daniel Achelis (1898–1963), the businessman Gustav Adolf Achelis (* 1901) and Elisabeth (* 1912).

In his dissertation, Hans Achelis deals with monuments of early Christian art, which he interprets as documents of community life and faith. For the first time he classified and interpreted the catacomb pictures and examined the origin of the holy picture. He devoted his last creative years to the art and church history of Naples, especially the catacomb frescoes, and published them in 1936, for example. T. in color light prints. This work also represents his main archaeological work.

His two-volume work Christianity in the First Three Centuries (1912, 1925) summarizes the current state of research and is one of the standard works of church history in ancient times. With the Martyrologies (1900) he presented the first critical examination of the calendar of saints of the Roman Church.

Scientific vita

Hans Achelis studied from 1883 to 1888 theology and philosophy at the Universities of Erlangen , Marburg and Berlin and in 1887 at the University of Marburg Dr. phil. is doing his doctorate with his dissertation The Symbol of the Fish and the Fish Monuments of the Roman Catacombs . From 1890 to 1892 he traveled to Italy and Palestine on study trips and stayed in Rome as a scholarship holder in 1890/91. In 1893 he obtained his theological licentiate (Lic. Theol.) At the University of Göttingen with the dissertation Acta SS. Nerei et Achillei (published in full in: Texts and Studies on the History of Early Christian Literature Volume XI, 2, Leipzig 1893); In the same year he completed his habilitation at the local theological faculty for church history and Christian archeology

In 1901 Achelis accepted an appointment as extraordinary professor for the New Testament at the University of Königsberg and in 1907 as extraordinary professor at the University of Halle . There Achelis was appointed full professor for church history in 1913. In 1916 Achelis moved to a chair at the University of Bonn , where he also worked as head of the archaeological collection. In 1918 he moved, for the last time, to the University of Leipzig as successor to Albert Hauck .

From October 31, 1932 to October 30, 1933 Achelis was rector of the University of Leipzig and promoted the reorganization of the university in the National Socialist sense. In his annual report on the handover of the rectorate, he made no secret of his support for National Socialism . He also saw his own person confirmed:

"Due to the special trust of the superior ministry, the rector and senate were brought into line for the winter semester, so that the same rector and the same deans who took office on October 31 of last year stand before you today - m. (One) W. (issens) a unique case at German universities. "

He affirmed the book burnings by the German student body and said in a speech on May 14, 1933:

"If now the youth opens the fight against bad literature ... we cheer the youth."

In his annual report, however, he did not mention the book burning.

In 1935 he retired .

Memberships

Fonts (selection)

literature

Web links

Wikisource: Hans Achelis  - sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hans Achelis probably did not die on February 23 (according to the German Biographical Encyclopedia (DBE) and German Biographical Encyclopedia of Theology and the Churches (DBETh) , which is probably based on the DBE), the only source I know of for this disputed date. According to the Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon, he presumably died on February 25, 1937 in Leipzig, as well as according to Religion in Past and Present (RGG) and New German Biography and Evangelical Church Lexicon. According to the sources, there is no absolute certainty about the exact birthday and date of death. GA Zischka General dictionary of scholars. Biographical concise dictionary for the history of the sciences (Kröner's pocket edition Volume 306) , Alfred Kröner Verlag, Stuttgart 1961, p. 4, gives the year of death 1937 and February, probably because he does not know the exact sources. Achelis was born with him on March 13th (also according to Religion in Past and Present. Concise dictionary for theology and religious studies. 4th, completely revised edition, Mohr Siebeck Verlag, Tübingen 1998, Volume 1: A – B, ISBN 3-16 -146941-0 , p. 98), on the other hand March 16 according to the Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon, edited and edited by Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz, Verlag Traugott Bautz, Hamm (Westf.) 1999, Volume I, Sp. 17, and Neue Deutsche Biography and Evangelical Church Lexicon. Church-theological dictionary, ed. by Heinz Brunnotte and OttoWeber, Volume I: A – G, Verlag Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1956, Col. 39. An inquiry to the Leipzig University Archives confirms the date of death 25 February 1937 (Dr. Bleicher).
  2. ^ The Achelis family in Bremen, 1579–1921 . P. 90. online
  3. ↑ Change of Rectorate at the University of Leipzig on October 31, 1933 , p. 4.
  4. ^ Quotation from Ernst Klee : Das Personenlexikon zum Third Reich. Who was what before and after 1945 . Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Second updated edition, Frankfurt am Main 2005, p. 10.
  5. ^ Ernst Elsheimer (ed.): Directory of the old fraternity members according to the status of the winter semester 1927/28. Frankfurt am Main 1928, p. 1.
personal data
SURNAME Achelis, Hans
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Achelis, Hans Georg (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German church historian
DATE OF BIRTH March 16, 1865
PLACE OF BIRTH Hastedt
DATE OF DEATH February 25, 1937
Place of death Leipzig