Ludwig Riess

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Ludwig Riess (around 1900)

Ludwig Riess (born December 1, 1861 in Deutsch Krone ; died December 27, 1928 in Springfield (Ohio) ) was a German historian , professor at the University of Tokyo - Japan . He has published on topics from Japanese history, European history and theoretical topics in historical studies.

Life and professional training

Ludwig Riess was born in Deutsch-Krone, today's Wałcz in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. After attending grammar school, he studied at the Friedrich Wilhelms University in Berlin . Shortly after graduating, he went on an exploration trip to England and Ireland. This served primarily to deepen his research topic on the elections in the British Parliament in the Middle Ages. After his return in 1884, he submitted his dissertation on the "History of the right to vote in the English Parliament in the Middle Ages" at the university and received the doctorate. phil. Riess is considered a student of the historian Leopold von Ranke (1795–1886). After a brief teaching activity, he was selected as a scientist for a position at the University of Tokyo on the basis of a contract between Germany and the Ministry of Education of the Japanese government.

Working in Japan

Ludwig Riess arrived in Tokyo in January 1887 and took up his position on February 4, 1887 as a professor in the history department at Tokyo University. Above all, it was thanks to him that he introduced the European methods of historical methodology and historiography to Japanese historical studies. He made it clear to his students that the historian is always obliged to take a neutral point of view in his scientific discipline. At the same time in Tokyo he was the first to publish publications on certain topics in Japanese history. In 1888 his article “The Shimabara Uprising” appeared. He became an honorary member of the German Society for Natural History and Ethnology of East Asia (OAG) and worked temporarily in the Society's division in Tokyo as a librarian. Further publications on selected historical events from the history of Japan followed, such as the causes of the expulsion of the Portuguese from Japan, the history of the island of Formosa and individual personalities from Japanese history. The book about "Prince Ito", published in 1922, played a key role here. At Riess' suggestion, the Japanese Society for History was founded through the University of Tokyo. The first publications of the newly founded society appeared in the founding year, the journal of which was later continued under the name “Geschichtliches-Forschungs-Magazin”. Shortly before the end of the planned expiry time of his stay, which was originally set for February 1890, his teaching position was extended twice for him. His successor was the Japanese historian Mitsukuri Genpachi, who returned from Germany in 1902 and trained there.

In 1888, Ludwig Riess married Otsuka Fuku from Japan. The marriage resulted in a son and four daughters.

In Germany again

After handing over the teaching post in Tokyo, Ludwig Riess returned to Germany in 1902. Here he received a teaching position at the Friedrich Wilhelms University in Berlin . His main interest here was teaching, and he also worked on several larger and multi-volume editions on German history, especially on the continuation of the work of the historian Georg Weber (1808–1888). In the field of research, he continued with topics on the theory and methodology of the historical sciences that he had already pursued in his teaching work in Tokyo. He published publications on attitudes and achievements of selected historical personalities. These included above all Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898), Pope Paul IV (1478–1559), King Wilhelm I of the Netherlands (1772–1843), and Gerhard von Scharnhorst (1755–1813). But he was still preoccupied with his almost 15-year stay in Japan. Several books appeared under the title “All sorts of things from Japan”, which came out from 1905 onwards in three different formats and at some time intervals. In this he tried to bring his compatriots in Germany closer to the culture, life and certain beliefs and behavior that he had got to know in Japan. In addition, he was used for teaching assignments and publications at the Prussian War Academy in Berlin. This included the book “Attention! Head off ”, which he published with several scientists on behalf of the war press office. Riess then undertook another trip to Japan in 1909, which was mainly due to the social, economic and political changes that had occurred in this short period of time since his return to Germany. He presented the impressions of this trip in the book "The Development of Japan" published in 1914.

In 1926 he accepted a teaching position as an exchange teacher in the USA. Here he taught at several educational institutions in Springfield, Ohio.

Ludwig Riess died on December 27, 1928, after severe allergic reactions - probably as a result of an insect bite - in Springfield / Ohio.

See also

Publications

  • History of the right to vote in the English Parliament in the Middle Ages, Duncker & Humblot Verlag Berlin 1885
  • The Shimabara Uprising 1637–1639, OAG Announcements, Volume V, Issue 45; P. 191ff; Born 1888–1892
  • Notes on universae history (for private circulation onley), 1890
  • The Shimbara Uprising, 1891
  • History of the island of Formosa; OAG-Mitteilungen, Volume VI, Issue 59, pp. 405ff .; Born 1893–1897
  • History of the island of Formosa, 1897
  • The cause of the expulsion of the Portuguese from Japan (1614–1633); OAG-Mitteilungen, Volume VII. Part I .; P. 1ff; Born 1898–1899
  • Bismarck's review of his political career: dedicated to his German compatriots in Tokyo and his Japanese listeners, Scheischa Verlag Tokyo, 1899
  • William Adams and his tomb in Hemimura; OAG-Mitteilungen Volume VIII, Part 3, p. 239ff; Born 1899–1902
  • Notes of a coures (!) Of lectures on English Constitutional history, Tokyo, 1901
  • All sorts of things from Japan, part 1 and part 2, H. Neelmeyer Verlag Berlin, 1905
  • All sorts of things from Japan, Part 1 and Part 2, Expeditien der Deutschen Bücherei, 1908
  • The politics of Paul IV and his nephews: a world historical crisis of the 16th century, Ebering Verlag Berlin, 1909
  • Attention! Head off, Royal Prussian War Academy Berlin, 1911
  • History: An Organon of Historical Thought and Research (1), Göschen Verlag Berlin, 1912
  • Prove the loyalty to Weinsberg women to be true, Berlin 1912
  • Psychological and non-psychological issues in modern language reform teaching: The current standpoint of the modern language reform movement and its psychological-didactic rationale, Selbi Münch Verlag, 1912
  • A still unpublished Ems dispatch from King Wilhelm I of July 11, 1870; 1913
  • Scharnhorst's bid for English support of March 4, 1813; 1913
  • The development of Japan, 1914
  • Co-author of: Georg Weber's World History in Two Volumes, Volume 1 .: Antiquity and the Middle Ages, Volume 2.1 .: Modern Times; 1493-1789; Engelmann Verlag Leipzig 1918
  • Co-author of: Georg Weber's world history in 16 volumes; Volume 1 - The Egyptian-Mesopotanian cultural community and the development of the contrast between Europe and Asia (around 494 BC) Engelmann Verlag Leipzig, 1919
  • Co-author of: Georg Weber's world history in 16 volumes; Volume 3 - Conversion of the Roman Republic into an empire to defend against the Teutons and Parthians: Rise of Christianity (133 BC - 326 AD); Engelmann Verlag Leipzig, 1921
  • Genesis of the modern cultural development in the context of world history, Berger Verlag Stuttgart, 1921
  • Prince Ito, 1922
  • The Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment: World History from 1648–1789, Oldenbourg Verlag Munich and Berlin, 1923
  • The basis of modern Europe. World history from 1648–1789, Oldenbourg Verlag Munich, 1923
  • English history: mainly recently, Nauck & Jüngling Verlag Berlin, 1926
  • English constitution book of the 12th and 13th centuries, Morck & Weber Verlag Bonn, 1926
  • World history in three volumes, Engelmann Verlag Leipzig, without dates

literature

  • Riess, Ludwig , in: Joseph Walk (ed.): Short biographies on the history of the Jews 1918–1945 . Munich: Saur, 1988, ISBN 3-598-10477-4 , p. 310
  • Riess, Ludwig , in: Salomon Wininger : Great Jewish National Biography . Volume 5. Chernivtsi, 1931, p. 195
  • Biographical sketch and documents about Ludwig Riess, Meiji project; in: [1]
  • Documentation about the work and publications of Ludwig Riess, archive of the OAG; in: [2]

Web links

Commons : Ludwig Riess  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Archives of the Humboldt University and documentation in the holdings of the Berlin University Library
  2. ^ A b c Biographical sketch and documents about Ludwig Riess, Meiji project .
  3. published in the journal of the German Society for Nature and Ethnology of East Asia, OAG; OAG-Mitteilungen Volume V. Issue 45, p. 191 ff.
  4. ^ Documentation on the work and publications of Ludwig Riess, archive of the OAG; in: https://oag.jp/people/ludwig-riess/ and oag.jp./books/
  5. ^ Library of the Humboldt University Berlin; and Staatsbibliothek Preußischer Kulturbesitz Berlin, finding aids and bibliographical compilations / card indexes
  6. in 1905 part 1 was published by Verlag Deutsche Bücherei Berlin, then part 2 in the same year by H.Neelmeyer Verlag Berlin, two years later another edition “Allerlei aus Japan”, part 1 from 1908, was published by Expedien Verlag Berlin