List of classical philologists at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

The list of classical philologists at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg includes well-known university professors in this subject who worked and are working at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg .

overview

At the universities of Wittenberg and Halle, which were founded in 1502 and 1694 respectively, the Greek and Latin languages and literature were mainly taught as an auxiliary science of theology until the 18th century. Their representatives were mostly professors of eloquence at the same time. Christian Adolph Klotz (1738–1771), professor of philosophy and eloquence since 1765, was one of the first representatives of classical philology as an independent discipline at the university.

With the appointment of Friedrich August Wolf (1759-1824) as Professor of Philosophy and Education (1783), a new era began for the study of Classical Philology in Halle. Following the example of the Göttingen seminar (Wolf had studied with Christian Gottlob Heyne from 1777–1779 ), he founded a philological seminar in Halle in 1787, which served the training of teachers as well as specialist scientists. After the University of Halle closed in 1806, Wolf went to Berlin in 1807, where he helped found a new university .

In the 19th century

After the University of Halle was re-established by the Westphalian government (1808), Christian Gottfried Schütz (1747–1832), professor of literary history since 1804, was appointed professor of eloquence and head of the philological seminar. The financial resources of the seminar were severely cut. Nevertheless, Schütz intensified the seminar activities of the students by increasing the weekly exercises from two to six hours. In 1816 August Seidler (1779–1851) was appointed professor of Greek literature and appointed co-director of the Philological Seminary. In addition to these two, Schütz and Seidler, after the merger of the Universities of Halle and Wittenberg by the Prussian state (1817) Abraham Gottlieb Raabe (1764–1845), who had previously taught in Wittenberg. According to the new regulations of June 26, 1817, the purpose of the seminar was designated as "the education of skilled teachers for high schools"; the scientific orientation of the seminar exercises was thus restricted by the authorities. In addition to Raabe, Schütz and Seidler, Karl Christian Reisig (1792–1829) worked from 1820 , initially as associate professor.

The seminar leadership was passed in 1824 from Seidler to his successor Moritz Hermann Eduard Meier (1796–1855). In 1829 new regulations came into force that changed the seminar's specific school orientation into a general scientific one. In addition, Gottfried Bernhardy , Reisig's successor, was appointed third seminar director. In 1831, Schütz resigned from the management of the seminar for reasons of age, which Meier and Bernhardy have shared since then. After Meier's death, Theodor Bergk (1812–1881) was appointed in 1857 , and Heinrich Keil (1822–1894) after his retirement in 1869 .

Around the middle of the 19th century there were only two chairs for Classical Philology. In 1874 Wilhelm Dittenberger (1840–1906) was appointed to a third chair, which, however, was not associated with the seminar direction. With Bernhardy's successor Eduard Hiller (1844-1891, appointed 1876), a generation change began: Hiller came from the Bonn School of Philology ( Otto Jahn , Friedrich Ritschl ). He was particularly concerned with Hellenistic and Roman poetry.

Halle and the "big science company": Blass and Wissowa

His successor Friedrich Blass (1843–1907) came from the same school as Hiller and dealt with wide areas of Greek literature, especially rhetoric. Together with Georg Wissowa (1859–1931), Keil's successor, he reformed the Philological Seminary. Unlike Blass and Hiller, Wissowa came from the Breslau School of Philology.

As a science organizer, Wissowa incorporated the University of Halle into what was then the "large science enterprise". He headed the editorship of the Realencyclopedia of Classical Classical Antiquities , to which he consulted students, colleagues and experts from all over Germany and abroad. His own research focus, the history of Roman religion, was also the subject of the dissertation of many of his students.

From the turn of the century to the end of National Socialism

The Robertinum , the seat of the Institute for Classical Studies since 1928

In the first third of the 20th century, alongside Wissowa, Otto Kern (1863–1942) and Karl Praechter (1858–1933) were professors. After a stroke (1923) Wissowa had to stop his research and teaching activities. His successor in 1925 was Ernst Diehl (1874–1947), a pupil of the Bonn school. Praechter's chair was not filled again after his retirement (1927).

Under the leadership of Otto Kern, Ancient History, Classical Philology and Archeology were brought together in 1928 in the Robertinum . Since then, the subjects have also been working closely together at an institutional level (in the institute, later the seminar for classical studies).

With Kern's successor Paul Friedländer (1882–1968), a Wilamowitz student from Berlin was appointed to Halle in 1932. Just three years later he was released because of his Jewish origins. His successor was Erich Reitzenstein (1897–1976), who dealt with poetry theory and philosophy and kept his distance from the National Socialists. In contrast, Diehl's successor, Franz Altheim (1898–1976), adapted to the prevailing ideology in order to secure his career. Altheim also represented ancient history in Halle, since the chair of the expelled ancient historian Richard Laqueur (1881–1959) remained vacant.

Classical Philology in the GDR and after

After the end of the Second World War , Reitzenstein and Altheim were able to continue their activities in Halle. However, both had major differences in the leadership of the Soviet Zone and the GDR. After Altheim moved to the Free University of Berlin in 1950 , Werner Peek (1904–1994) was appointed his successor. Peek was a deserving epigraphist who was heavily involved in National Socialism in the 1930s. In the GDR he adapted so much that he was awarded the National Prize in 1961.

In addition to Peek, Berthold Häsler (1909–1982), Reitzenstein's successor, worked in the 1960s after he had fled to West Germany in 1958 via West Berlin . After Peek retired in 1969 and Häsler in 1974, their chairs remained vacant for a long time. The teaching was maintained by the lecturers Joachim Ebert (1930–1999) and Wolfgang Kirsch (1938–2010) as well as by lecturers. Ebert was appointed professor in 1983 and Kirsch in 1986. Both stayed in office after reunification . Ebert retired when he reached the age limit in 1995, Kirsch in 1993. Her successors in the chairs were Michael Hillgruber (focus on Graecian Studies ) and Rainer Jakobi (focus on Latin Studies ).