Eduard Neumann (24 June 1903 – 28 March 1985) was a German philologist who specialized in Germanic studies.

Biography

Eduard Neumann was born in

Osterholz-Scharmbeck Osterholz-Scharmbeck (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Oosterholt-Scharmbeek'') is a town and the capital of the district of Osterholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Osterholz-Scharmbeck is situated in between the cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven. Geography ...

, Germany on 24 June 1903. From 1922 to 1934 he studied

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

and philosophy at the universities of Innsbruck and

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

. From 1935 to 1939, Neumann studied

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

and

Nordic philology Scandinavian studies is an interdisciplinary academic field of area studies, mainly in the United States and Germany, that primarily focuses on the Scandinavian languages (also known as North Germanic languages) and cultural studies pertaining t ...

at the

University of Marburg The Philipps University of Marburg (german: Philipps-Universität Marburg) was founded in 1527 by Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, which makes it one of Germany's oldest universities and the oldest still operating Protestant university in the worl ...

under

Karl Helm Karl Helm (full name Karl Hermann Georg Helm, born 19 May 1871 in Karlsruhe, died 9 September 1960 in Marburg) was a German philologist who specialized in Germanic studies Biography Karl Helm was born in Karlsruhe, Germany on 19 May 1871. He stu ...

Walther Mitzka Walther is a masculine given name and a surname. It is a German form of Walter, which is derived from the Old High German '' Walthari'', containing the elements ''wald'' -"power", "brightness" or "forest" and ''hari'' -"warrior". The name was ...

and Ludwig Wolff. He received his

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

with a thesis on the

Edda "Edda" (; Old Norse ''Edda'', plural ''Eddur'') is an Old Norse term that has been attributed by modern scholars to the collective of two Medieval Icelandic literary works: what is now known as the '' Prose Edda'' and an older collection of poem ...

s at Marburg in 1941 under the supervision of Helm and Wolff. He subsequently

habilitated Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including ...

at Marburg in 1951 with another thesis on the Eddas. Since 1951, Neumann lectured in

Germanic philology Germanic philology is the philological study of the Germanic languages, particularly from a comparative or historical perspective. The beginnings of research into the Germanic languages began in the 16th century, with the discovery of literary t ...

at the

University of Göttingen The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded i ...

. In 1955 he was appointed a guest professor at the

Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public university, public research university in Berlin, Germany. It is consistently ranked among Germany's best universities, with particular strengths in poli ...

. He was a visiting professor at

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best pu ...

in 1956. From 1959 to 1971, Neumann was Professor of German Philology, Old German Studies and Nordic Studies at the Free University of Berlin. During this time, he also served as Director of the Germanic Seminar (1957-1971) and

Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

(1959-1961). Neumann retired in 1971, and died in Berlin on 28 March 1985. He is buried at

Waldfriedhof Dahlem The Waldfriedhof Dahlem ( Dahlem forest cemetery) is a cemetery in Berlin, in the district of Steglitz-Zehlendorf on the edge of the Grunewald forest at Hüttenweg 47. Densely planted with conifers and designed between 1931 and 1933 after the ...

Sources

* Michael Fisch: ''Eduard Neumann.'' In: Christoph König (Hrsg.), unter Mitarbeit von Birgit Wägenbaur u. a.: '' Internationales Germanistenlexikon 1800–1950.'' Band 2: ''H–Q.'' De Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2003, . 1903 births 1985 deaths German philologists Germanic studies scholars Academic staff of the Free University of Berlin Old Norse studies scholars University of Marburg alumni 20th-century philologists {{Germany-linguist-stub

Biography

See also

Sources