Jost Trier (15 December 1894 – 15 September 1970) was a German philologist who was Chair of German Philology at the University of Münster from 1932 to 1961.

Biography

Jost Trier was born in Schlitz, Hesse, Germany on 15 December 1894, the son of physician Jost Christian Ludwig Trier (1859-1939) and Else Nehrkorn. After graduating from gymnasium in Barmen in 1914, Trier studied Roman philology, German philology, comparative linguistics and

art history Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today, ...

at the University of Freiburg. His studies were interrupted by

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, during which Trier served in the

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (german: Deutsches Heer), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the l ...

. He was eventually captured by the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

, and was since February 1915 interned in a prisoner of war camp in French Algeria. Trier was infected by

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or deat ...

in 1916, and was subsequently interned in

Switzerland ; rm, citad federala, links=no). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzon ...

, where he was able to continue his studies at the University of Basel (1916-1918). After the war, he continued his studies at the universities of

Berlin Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...

(1918-1919) and

Marburg Marburg ( or ) is a university town in the German federal state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district (''Landkreis''). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has a population of approx ...

(1919-1920), and subsequently worked as a secondary school teacher. Trier gained his

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

at the University of Freiburg in 1923 with a thesis on ethnology,

etymology Etymology () The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words ...

and culture. After gaining his PhD, Trier taught at the University of Marburg. Since 1932, Trier was Chair of German Philology at the University of Münster. Trier specialized in Germanic linguistics, particularly

. He was a friend of Dutch philologist Jan de Vries. A teacher and lecturer of considerable ability, Trier played an instrumental role in reviving the field of German studies after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. He was the founder and leader of a number of important associations and institutes for German studies. From 1957 to 1957, Trier was Rector at the University of Münster. He retired in 1963.

Selected works

* ''Der Heilige Jodocus'', 1924 * ''Aufsätze und Vorträge zur Wortfeldtheorie'', 1973

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Trier, Jost 1894 births 1970 deaths Etymologists German prisoners of war in World War I Germanic studies scholars Germanists Humboldt University of Berlin alumni Linguists from Germany People from the Grand Duchy of Hesse People from Vogelsbergkreis University of Basel alumni University of Freiburg alumni University of Marburg alumni University of Marburg faculty University of Münster faculty 20th-century linguists German Army personnel of World War I