Paul Wessner

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Eduard Alwin Paul Wessner (born August 14, 1870 in Oberkamsdorf near Jena , † May 11, 1933 in Oldenburg ) was a German classical philologist. It is especially as editor of Terence - and Juvenal - Scholien known.

Life

Career

Paul Wessner, the son of a merchant, grew up in Jena and stayed in touch with the city all his life. He attended the Carolo-Alexandrinum grammar school there, did military service with the 94th Infantry Regiment from 1889 to 1890 and began studying at the University of Jena at the same time . He studied Latin, Greek and history to become a teacher. During his studies he was particularly influenced by the Latinist Georg Goetz , who encouraged Wessner to study Roman poetry and especially the Latin grammarians. 1893 Wessner was with a dissertation on the Horace -Comment of Pomponius Porphyrio Dr. phil. PhD .

After the state examination (1893) Wessner completed the preparatory service for the higher teaching post in Jena (seminar and probation year). At Easter 1897 he got a job as a senior teacher in Bremerhaven . In April 1898 he moved to Halle an der Saale , where he worked as a teacher and boarding school director at the Latin School of the Francke Foundations . In autumn 1908 he was appointed director of the Großherzoglich-Oldenburgischen Gymnasium in Birkenfeld an der Nahe and since then has been in the state service of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg . In the autumn of 1911 he moved to the Mariengymnasium Jever as director . On January 1, 1913, he was appointed high school councilor in the evangelical high school college in Oldenburg, as well as a consultant on higher education in the ministry. In the First World War Wessner was as captain of the militia in the army worked and education sectors, and then returned to his civilian job position. He was promoted to Ministerialrat in 1921 and was appointed chairman of the newly formed Evangelical Department of the Ministry of Churches and Schools on October 29, 1932, after the high school colleges had been abolished by the National Socialist government.

In addition to his considerable duties in the school service, Wessner succeeded in continuing his scientific projects. He was particularly concerned with the grammarians and their commentaries on Roman poetry. He spent most of the school holidays in libraries, especially in his hometown of Jena.

Activity in classical philology

Wessner's first major project was an edition of the ancient Terence Commentaries , the history of which was not adequately clarified. To this end, he contacted Karl Dziatzko , among others , who made his extensive collations available to him. After years of preparatory work, Wessner published the commentary of Aelius Donatus in 1902 and 1903 and that of Eugraphius in 1908 . Another volume, which should contain the Scholia Bembina , did not materialize. With the Eugraphius Edition, he brought a project to an end that had been started several generations before him and had not been completed: Ludwig Schopen had already prepared an edition, but never finished it. After his death, the material went to August Reifferscheid , who in turn passed it on to Georg Wissowa . Wissowa finally handed the materials and collations over to Wessner, who processed them in his edition.

Other elaborate projects on which Wessner worked until the end of his life were the scholias on Cicero's speech Pro T. Annio Milone and the one on Juvenal , which appeared in critical editions in 1911 and 1931 respectively. In addition, since 1905 he wrote numerous articles for the real encyclopedia of classical antiquity .

Paul Wessner died on May 11, 1933 at the age of 62, presumably as a result of his overwork. His estate, which contains extensive collections of materials, hand copies and manuscripts, is in the Thuringian University and State Library in Jena.

family

Wessner was married to Helene geb. Schenk (1871-1931). There was a son from the marriage.

Fonts (selection)

  • Aelii Donati quod fertur commentum Terenti. Accedunt Eugraphi commentum et scholia Bembina . Three volumes in four parts, Leipzig 1902–1908. Reprint Stuttgart 1962–1963
  • Cicero's speech for T. Annius Milo with the commentary of Asconius and the Bobienser Scholien . Bonn 1911. Reprint Berlin 1968
  • Scholia in Juvenalem vetustiora collegit, recensuit, illustravit Paulus Wessner . Leipzig 1931. Reprint Stuttgart 1967

literature

Web links

Wikisource: Paul Wessner  - Sources and full texts
personal data
SURNAME Wessner, Paul
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Weßner, Paul; Wessner, Alwin Eduard Paul (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German classical philologist
DATE OF BIRTH August 14, 1870
PLACE OF BIRTH Oberkamsdorf near Jena
DATE OF DEATH May 11, 1933
Place of death Oldenburg