Felix Dahn
Encyclopedia
Felix Ludwig Julius Dahn (February 9, 1834 – January 3, 1912) was a German
lawyer
, author and historian
.
as the oldest son of Friedrich (1811-89) and Constanze Dahn who were notable actors at the city's theatre. The family had both German and French roots. Dahn began his studies in law and philosophy in Munich (he had moved there with his parents in 1834), and graduated as Doctor of Laws in Berlin
. After his habilitation treatise, Dahn became lecturer of German Law in Munich in 1857. In 1863 he became senior lecturer
/associate professor in Würzburg
, received a professorship in Königsberg
in 1872, and in 1888 he relocated to Breslau, again as a full professor, and was elected rector
of the university in 1895. During his regime, he discriminated Polish students by enforcing a ban on Polish student associations. He belonged to as honorary member to association "Germania" a nationalistic and antisemitic organisation, and was one of the leaders of the far right of Alldeutscher Verband Dahn was also honorary doctor in Medicine and in Philosophy. A month before his 78th birthday, Dahn died in Breslau (Wrocław). Dahn was married to Therese von Droste-Hülshoff (1845-1929).
) that first appeared in print in 1883, was so definitive that abbreviated versions were reprinted until the late 1970s.
His works contributed to the foundation of National Socialism in Germany while his book Ein Kampf um Rom encouraged a "voelkisch avant-garde" who feared the supposed danger of ethnic mixing.
Although Dahn wrote in the style of German Romanticism
, he was among the first historians to incorporate modern socioeconomic insights, at least on a qualitative level. Here is a list of Felix Dahn's most significant writings:
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, author and historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
.
Biography
Julius Sophus Felix Dahn was born in HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
as the oldest son of Friedrich (1811-89) and Constanze Dahn who were notable actors at the city's theatre. The family had both German and French roots. Dahn began his studies in law and philosophy in Munich (he had moved there with his parents in 1834), and graduated as Doctor of Laws in Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
. After his habilitation treatise, Dahn became lecturer of German Law in Munich in 1857. In 1863 he became senior lecturer
Senior lecturer
Senior lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a faculty position at a university or similar institution. Especially in research-intensive universities, lecturers lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
/associate professor in Würzburg
University of Würzburg
The University of Würzburg is a university in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 1402. The university is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group.-Name:...
, received a professorship in Königsberg
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as second Protestant academy by Duke Albert of Prussia, and was commonly known as the Albertina....
in 1872, and in 1888 he relocated to Breslau, again as a full professor, and was elected rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the university in 1895. During his regime, he discriminated Polish students by enforcing a ban on Polish student associations. He belonged to as honorary member to association "Germania" a nationalistic and antisemitic organisation, and was one of the leaders of the far right of Alldeutscher Verband Dahn was also honorary doctor in Medicine and in Philosophy. A month before his 78th birthday, Dahn died in Breslau (Wrocław). Dahn was married to Therese von Droste-Hülshoff (1845-1929).
Works
Dahn's writings were extremely influential in forming the conception of the European history unfolding during the first millennium CE which dominated German-speaking countries during the late 19th and early 20th century. His multi-volume Prehistory of the Germanic and Roman Peoples, a chronology of the European Völkerwanderung (Migration PeriodMigration Period
The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...
) that first appeared in print in 1883, was so definitive that abbreviated versions were reprinted until the late 1970s.
His works contributed to the foundation of National Socialism in Germany while his book Ein Kampf um Rom encouraged a "voelkisch avant-garde" who feared the supposed danger of ethnic mixing.
Although Dahn wrote in the style of German Romanticism
German Romanticism
For the general context, see Romanticism.In the philosophy, art, and culture of German-speaking countries, German Romanticism was the dominant movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. German Romanticism developed relatively late compared to its English counterpart, coinciding in its...
, he was among the first historians to incorporate modern socioeconomic insights, at least on a qualitative level. Here is a list of Felix Dahn's most significant writings:
- 1861 - 1911 Die Könige der Germanen (Germanic Kings, 11 parts)
- 1865 Prokopius von Cäsarea. Ein Beitrag zur Historiographie der Völkerwanderung und des sinkenden Römertums (Procopius of Caesarea)
- 1875 König Roderich (King Roderick)
- 1876 Ein Kampf um Rom (A Struggle for RomeA Struggle for RomeStruggle for Rome is an historical novel written by Felix Dahn .-Plot summary:...
) - 1877 Die Staatskunst der Frauen (Women's Statecraft)
- 1884 Die Kreuzfahrer (The Crusaders)
- 1883 Urgeschichte der germanischen und romanischen Völker (Prehistory of the Germanic and Roman Peoples, four parts)
- 1882 - 1901 Kleine Romane aus der Völkerwanderung (Short Novels of the Migrations, 13 parts)
- 1893 Julian der Abtrünnige (Julian the Apostate)
- 1902 Herzog Ernst von Schwaben (Duke Ernst of Swabia)
Literature
- Festgabe für Felix Dahn zu seinem fünfzigjährigen Doktorjubiläum. Neudr. d. Ausg. Breslau 1905. Scientia-Verlag, Aalen 1979. ISBN 3-511-00881-6
- Kurt Frech: Felix Dahn. Die Verbreitung völkischen Gedankenguts durch den historischen Roman, in: Uwe Puschner, Walter Schmitz, Justus H. Ulbricht (Hrsg.), Handbuch zur „Völkischen Bewegung“ 1871–1918, München, New Providence, London, Paris 1996, S. 685–698. ISBN 3-598-11241-6
- Rainer Kipper: Der völkische Mythos. "Ein Kampf um Rom" von Felix Dahn. In: derselbe: Der Germanenmythos im Deutschen Kaiserreich. Formen und Funktionen historischer Selbstthematisierung. Vandenhoeck u. Ruprecht, Göttingen 2002. (= Formen der Erinnerung; 11) ISBN 3-525-35570-X
- Stefan Neuhaus: "Das Höchste ist das Volk, das Vaterland!" Felix Dahns "Ein Kampf um Rom" (1876) In: derselbe: Literatur und nationale Einheit in Deutschland. Francke, Tübingen u.a. 2002. S. 230-243. ISBN 3-7720-3330-X
- Hans Rudolf Wahl: Die Religion des deutschen Nationalismus. Eine mentalitätsgeschichtliche Studie zur Literatur des Kaiserreichs: Felix Dahn, Ernst von Wildenbruch, Walter Flex. Winter, Heidelberg 2002. (= Neue Bremer Beiträge, 12) ISBN 3-8253-1382-4
External links
- Ein Kampf um Rom (PDF; Reprint of 1888 edition at Arno-Schmidt-Referenzbibliothek der GASL)
- Ein Kampf um Rom in context of conservative-nationalist literature