Richard Wittsack

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Hermann Gustav Richard Wittsack (born September 9, 1887 in Koethen , † March 6, 1952 in Halle (Saale) ) was a German speech scholar . He founded the Institute for Speech Studies at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and is one of the founders of speech science.

Life

Wittsack passed his Abitur in 1909 at the Ludwigsgymnasium Köthen . He then studied theology , philosophy , linguistics , German , art and theater history at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg , Friedrich Wilhelms University in Berlin and the University of Greifswald . In 1913 he graduated as Dr. phil. From 1913 to 1915 he studied in Berlin lecture and talk art with Max Reinhardt at the Deutsches Theater and Emil Milan and speech therapy and Phoniatrie in the Department of voice and speech disorders of the Charité (u. A. At Hermann Gutzmann ). From 1915 to 1916 he worked as an assistant teacher at a secondary school. From 1916 he was a lecturer at the Viktoria Studienhaus in Charlottenburg . Wittsack was drafted into the Landsturm in 1917 . At first he was used as a speaker for patriotic instruction , later he served as a soldier in the intelligence force at the front.

After the war he became a lecturer for speech technology and the art of speaking at the University of Halle-Wittenberg . In 1925 he started a linguistic collection and joined the Socialist Teachers' Association , to which he belonged until its dissolution. Wittsack edited 1928-1932 the entry "Speech Studies" and subcategories for the 15th edition of the Große Brockhaus .

From 1933 he was a member of the NSDAP , in 1934 of the National Socialist People's Welfare and in 1935 of the National Socialist German Lecturer Association . In 1937 he received the Phonetic Collection founded by Otto Bremer for further scientific supervision and was appointed honorary professor. In the following year he founded the Institute for Speech Studies at the Martin Luther University in Halle-Wittenberg, the first institute of its kind in Germany. In 1938 Wittsack published a new edition of Theodor Echtermeyer- founded anthology Selection of German Poems from the Beginning to the Present .

After the end of the Second World War, Wittsack was initially banned from teaching. In 1945 he became a member of the FDGB and trained speakers for the KPD , and in 1946 he joined the SED . The President of the Province of Saxony ( Erhard Hübener ) confirmed Wittsack as director of the institute in January 1946, and the teaching ban was lifted. The linguistic institute merged with the Phonetic Collection the following year. Wittsack was appointed professor with a teaching assignment in 1948 and professor with a full teaching assignment in 1951. He died in Halle in 1952. Wittsack's student Hans Krech succeeded him as head of the Institute for Speech Studies.

Work (selection)

  • Word artwork and school. BG Teubner, Leipzig 1925.
  • Learn to talk! One way to succeed. Practical speaking teachers for everyone. Hesse & Becker, Leipzig 1935.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Richard Wittsack , in Catalogus Professorum Halensis.
  2. ^ A b André Hüttner: On the development of linguistic phonetics at the University of Halle (Saale) until 1961. Frank & Timme, Berlin 2019, p. 222.
  3. ↑ a b c d History of the Institute , Speech Science and Phonetics Department, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.
  4. ^ A b André Hüttner: On the development of linguistic phonetics at the University of Halle (Saale) until 1961. Frank & Timme, Berlin 2019, p. 223.
  5. ↑ Henrik Eberle: The Martin Luther University in the time of National Socialism. Mdv, Halle 2002, ISBN 3-89812-150-X , p. 400.
personal data
SURNAME Wittsack, Richard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wittsack, Hermann Gustav Richard (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German speech scientist
DATE OF BIRTH September 9, 1887
PLACE OF BIRTH Koethen
DATE OF DEATH March 6, 1952
Place of death Halle (Saale)