Karl Koppmann

Georg Friedrich Karl Koppmann (born March 24, 1839 in Hamburg , † March 25, 1905 in Rostock ) was a German historian , archivist and was considered an authority on German urban history , especially the Hanseatic League .

Live and act

Karl Koppmann first completed an apprenticeship as a watchmaker and then worked as a teacher at an elementary school . From 1862 he studied history, first at the academic high school in Hamburg, from 1863 at the universities in Göttingen and Berlin . He was charged with one at the University of Gottingen dissertation on The oldest documents of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen to Dr. phil. PhD.

After his studies, Koppmann returned to his hometown and published numerous scientific papers on Hamburg's history while he worked at the Hamburg State Archives and briefly taught at the Academic Gymnasium in 1868 . Among these is the publication of the combing invoices of the city of Hamburg since 1869, of which six volumes were to appear and which are described as the main work of his time in Hamburg. Furthermore, in 1870 he began to publish the historical source work of the Hanseatic Trials for the Monumenta Germaniae Historica , for which he had collected material from Flanders to Livonia .

From 1868 Koppmann was a member of the Association for Hamburg History , from 1869 to 1872 a member of the association's board and from 1874 permanent secretary of the association. During this time he edited the magazine and founded in 1878 the communications referred journal of the Association. In addition, he published several edited volumes on behalf of the association, often with his own contributions.

However, not only general Hanseatic historical research, but also Lübeck history in particular, owed him special support and numerous scientific works. From the estate of the Lübeck historian Wilhelm Mantels , he published articles on Lübisch-Hansischen history in the Gustav Fischer Verlag in Jena in 1881 . One of his most important works was the publication of the Lübeck Chronicles as a result of the chronicles of the Low German cities introduced by Professor Hegel from Erlangen . That was originally supposed to work out Mantels. However, since he died before it was completed, Koppmann was entrusted with continuing his work. After completing the first volume, he moved to Rostock in October 1884, where he became the first professional city archivist. There he published the second volume in 1899 and the third volume in 1902. His relationship with Lübeck remained close until his death. Max Hoffmann took part in his funeral as a representative of the Hanseatic History Association and Friedrich Bruns as a representative of the Association for Lübeck History and Archeology.

His scientific activity found lasting expression in the founding of the Association for Hanseatic History on May 24, 1870 in Stralsund . Koppmann was the oldest member of the board of this new association. The Hansische Geschichtsblätter published by the association show many essays by Koppmann in numerous volumes.

As Rostock city archivist, he published on the history of Mecklenburg and Rostock. The Rostock City Archives underwent a complete reorganization. On the basis of the action book by Johan Töllner , a Rostock businessman, he wrote a book on the history of Rostock. One of the focal points of his work was the contributions he founded in 1890 to the history of the city of Rostock .

Koppmann edited the correspondence sheet for the Association for Low German Language Research , founded in 1875 , of which he was a founding member . His translation of the sayings of Walter von der Vogelweide into New High German appeared in 1893. He wrote several Low German songs, such as the one on the Hanseatic Wisbyfahrt .

From 1889 he was a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences in Göttingen .

His successor as Rostock city archivist was Ernst Dragendorff .

Works (selection)

• Combing accounts of the city of Hamburg, 1350–1562 , seven volumes, 1869–1894, Hamburg. ( online )
• Hanserezesse 1256–1430 , eight volumes, 1870–1897
• Hanseatic history sheets , 31 volumes
• The chronicles of the cities of Lower Saxony: Lübeck , three volumes, 1884–1902
• The sea book . Küthmann, Bremen 1876. ( digitized in the digital library Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania)

literature

• Franklin Kopitzsch , Daniel Tilgner (Ed.): Hamburg Lexikon. 4th, updated and expanded special edition. Ellert & Richter, Hamburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-8319-0373-3 , pp. 410-411.
• Grete Grewolls: Who was who in Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania. The dictionary of persons . Hinstorff Verlag, Rostock 2011, ISBN 978-3-356-01301-6 , p. 5294 .
• City archivist Dr. Karl Koppmann zu Rostock †. In: Vaterstädtische Blätter , year 1905, no. 14, edition of April 2, 1905, pp. 55–56
• Dr. Karl Koppmann. In: Lübeckische Blätter , vol. 87, number 14, edition of April 2, 1905, p. 192.
• Rainer Postel :  Koppmann, Karl. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 12, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1980, ISBN 3-428-00193-1 , p. 578 f. ( Digitized version ).

Web links

Wikisource: Hanseatic history sheets  - sources and full texts

• Association magazine "Hansische Geschichtsblätter". Retrieved January 23, 2020 . 

Commons : Karl Koppmann  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Literature about Karl Koppmann in the state bibliography MV
• Works by Karl Koppmann in the state bibliography MV

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Holger Krahnke: The members of the Academy of Sciences in Göttingen 1751-2001 (= Treatises of the Academy of Sciences in Göttingen, Philological-Historical Class. Volume 3, Vol. 246 = Treatises of the Academy of Sciences in Göttingen, Mathematical-Physical Class. Episode 3, vol. 50). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2001, ISBN 3-525-82516-1 , p. 138.