Wilhelm Lange-Eichbaum

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Wilhelm Lange-Eichbaum (born April 28, 1875 in Hamburg ; † September 4, 1949 there ) was a German psychiatrist who worked as an institution doctor in Berlin, Tübingen and Hamburg. In his scientific work he devoted himself to the genius problem and was the first to undertake sociological and socio-psychological explanations.

The genius problem

According to Lange-Eichbaum, genius is not a biological quantity like talent , but a sociological one. It is a phenomenon of relationship, of valuation and validity, a "mythical quantity of pleasure" that can fluctuate according to zeitgeist and fashions and thus show "glory curves". In rejecting earlier theories of genius such as that of Cesare Lombroso , Lange-Eichbaum denies a compelling connection between genius and psychosis ( genius and madness ).

reception

The sociologist and ethnologist Wilhelm Emil Mühlmann described the pathographic works of Wilhelm Lange-Eichbaum in a lexicon entry as follows. Lange-Eichbaum's perspective is a “decidedly sociological and socio-psychological one.” The “psychopathological traits as well as life and suffering fates” of many famous creative personalities were primarily mixed up with ideas of genius “by an adoring community” as a kind of quasi-divine quality . The psychopathological traits are, however, real and thus an objective object of the sociology of creative achievement. Lange-Eichbaum's works are captivating because of the "abundance of material, breadth and depth of education, realism of access, dazzling style and psychological-artistic empathy".

Fonts (selection)

  • Genius, madness and fame. Ernst Reinhardt, Munich 1928 (reprinted several times, most recently 1986–1996). In 11 volumes:
    • Volume 1: The doctrine of genius
    • Volume 2: The composers
    • Volume 3: The painters and sculptors
    • Volumes 4 and 5: The Poets and Writers
    • Volume 6: The Religious Leaders
    • Volume 7: The Philosophers and Thinkers
    • Volume 8: The politicians and generals
    • Volume 9: The Scientists and Researchers
    • Volume 10: The inventors and discoverers
    • Volume 11: The Revolutionaries and Social Reformers
  • Genius, madness and fame. Genius Myth and Pathography of Genius. 6th, completely revised edition, increased by a further 800 sources (reprint). Edited by Wolfram Kurth. Munich / Basel 1979.
  • The problem of genius. Paul / Trench / Trubner, London 1931 (translated by E. and C. Paul).
  • The Genius Problem: An Introduction. Ernst Reinhardt, Munich 1931.
  • Nietzsche: Illness and Effect. Lettenbauer, Hamburg 1946.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ so Wilhelm Emil Mühlmann, in: Internationales Soziologenlexikon. Volume 1: Articles on sociologists who died by the end of 1969. 2nd, revised edition. Enke, Stuttgart 1980, p. 231.
  2. ^ Wilhelm Emil Mühlmann : Lange (-Eichbaum), Wilhelm. In: Wilhelm Bernsdorf , Horst Knospe (Ed.): Internationales Soziologenlexikon. Volume 1: Articles on sociologists who died by the end of 1969. 2nd revised edition. Enke, Stuttgart 1980, 517 pp. ISBN 3-432-82652-4 , pp. 231f.
personal data
SURNAME Lange-Eichbaum, Wilhelm
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Eichbaum Lange, Wilhelm
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German psychiatrist
DATE OF BIRTH April 28, 1875
PLACE OF BIRTH Hamburg
DATE OF DEATH September 4, 1949
Place of death Hamburg