John William Pierson

John William Pierson (born June 29, 1833 in Danzig , † August 19, 1899 in Berlin ) was a German educator , historian and author of historical works.

Pierson's nickname was William. His parents were the royal surveyor and building manager James Pierson and Luise Laura Holz, who was born in Danzig. After attending grammar schools in Danzig and Elbing , Pierson studied philology and history at the University of Königsberg from 1851 . In 1855 he received his doctorate from the University of Halle and passed the examination for the higher teaching post in Jena . In 1859 he got a job as a teacher at the Dorotheenstädtische Realschule in Berlin, where he was appointed professor in 1870. In the last years of his life, Pierson was in poor health, which finally forced him to give up his teaching post in 1893.

As a scholar and writer, Pierson was active in various fields. After first turning to classical philology, he later devoted himself to the study of the Old Prussian language and the folklore of the old Prussians. His publications include an Old Prussian dictionary and an Old Prussian name code. However, his results in the field of linguistic research were viewed with skepticism by experts. Pierson's publications on historical subjects were mostly aimed at a wider readership. He published smaller treatises in the magazine for Prussian history and regional studies , the Old Prussian monthly and in other magazines. He was also the author of a textbook on Prussian history. His Prussian History , which appeared for the first time in 1865 and has been reprinted many times, found general recognition and widespread circulation ; the 19th edition from 1910, obtained by his son, contains a portrait of the author.

Works (selection)

• Prussian history. With a historical map . Berlin 1965 ( full text ).
• Guide to Prussian history with chronological tables and overviews . Reprinted in 2013 by Salzwasser-Verlag ( limited preview ).
• Addendum to the "Lithuanian equivalents" . In: Old Prussian monthly . Volume 8, Königsberg 1871, pp. 362-367.
• From a Collektaneenbuche by Caspar Hennenberger (communicated by W. Pierson). In: Journal for Prussian History and Regional Studies . Volume 10, Berlin 1873, pp. 56-64 , pp. 85-100 and p. 482 ; Volume 11, Berlin 1874, pp. 28-32 and pp. 357-364.
• Old Prussian naming code . In: Journal for Prussian History and Regional Studies . Volume 10, Berlin 1873, pp. 483-514 , pp. 618-642 and pp. 685-744.
• Traces of Celtic in the Old Prussian language . In: Journal for Prussian History and Regional Studies . Volume 11, Berlin 1874, pp. 755-759.

literature

• Old Prussian biography ( Christian Krollmann , ed.). Volume 2, Ewert, Marburg / Lahn 1967, p. 501.