Franz Babinger
Encyclopedia
Franz Babinger was a pioneering historian of the Ottoman Empire
, best known for his authoritative biography
of the great Ottoman emperor Mehmed II
known as the Conqueror, originally published as Mehmed der Eroberer und seine Zeit. An English translation by Ralph Mannheim is available from Princeton University Press
under the title Mehmed the Conqueror and his time.
, Bavaria
and was already an accomplished academic and linguist by the time he had completed his secondary school studies. Prior to starting University
, he had already learned both Persian
and Hebrew
.
Babinger completed his doctoral studies at the University of Munich on the eve of World War One
, whereafter he joined the German Army
. Because of his language skills and abilities, Babinger served in the Middle East
, thus avoiding the deadly trench warfare that cut short the lives of many promising scholars of his generation.
After the war, Babinger continued his studies at Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität
in Berlin
where he completed his Habilitation
schrift in 1921 and became a Professor at the same institution. During this period, he published Geschichtsschreiber der Osmanen und ihre Werke (Historians of the Ottoman Empire), which became the standard bibliographical review of Ottoman historiography and confirmed the reputation of Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität as a leading center for Near East studies. The rise of the Nazis
to power in 1933 forced him to resign his position. However, the great Romania
n statesman, academic and polymath Nicolae Iorga
, himself a widely respected historian of the Ottoman Empire, invited Babinger to take up a position in Bucharest
, which he held until he was ordered out of the country in 1943.
Babinger resumed his teaching career after the Second World War
at the University of Munich in 1948 until his retirement in 1958. In 1957, he testified about German atrocities against Romanian Jews
. He continued to work and publish actively until his accidental death by drowning in Albania
on June 23, 1967.
, Romanian
and Arabic
as well as the principal European languages, giving his work a scope and authority that had hitherto rarely been displayed in Near Eastern studies.
As a result of his reputation, his magnum opus Mehmed the Conqueror was published without any accompanying notes
on source material
at all, since the companion volume outlining his extensive and voluminous sources was sadly unfinished at the time of his death. As a result, Mehmed the Conqueror is one of the few academic works available with no cited sources and whose authority rests solely on the reputation of the author's research abilities.
In a testament to the outstanding breadth of that research, his papers and library
were acquired in 1973 by the Near East Section of the University of Washington Libraries
to complement their collection.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, best known for his authoritative biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of the great Ottoman emperor Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
known as the Conqueror, originally published as Mehmed der Eroberer und seine Zeit. An English translation by Ralph Mannheim is available from Princeton University Press
Princeton University Press
-Further reading:* "". Artforum International, 2005.-External links:* * * * *...
under the title Mehmed the Conqueror and his time.
Life
Babinger was born in WeidenWeiden
- Places :In Austria* Weiden am See in the district of Neusiedl am See in Burgenland* Weiden bei Rechnitz in the district of Oberwart in the Burgenland* Weiden an der March in the district of Gänserndorf in Lower AustriaIn Germany...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and was already an accomplished academic and linguist by the time he had completed his secondary school studies. Prior to starting University
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, he had already learned both Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
.
Babinger completed his doctoral studies at the University of Munich on the eve of World War One
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, whereafter he joined the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
. Because of his language skills and abilities, Babinger served in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, thus avoiding the deadly trench warfare that cut short the lives of many promising scholars of his generation.
After the war, Babinger continued his studies at Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität
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...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
where he completed his Habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
schrift in 1921 and became a Professor at the same institution. During this period, he published Geschichtsschreiber der Osmanen und ihre Werke (Historians of the Ottoman Empire), which became the standard bibliographical review of Ottoman historiography and confirmed the reputation of Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität as a leading center for Near East studies. The rise of the Nazis
National Socialist German Workers Party
The National Socialist German Workers' Party , commonly known in English as the Nazi Party, was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. Its predecessor, the German Workers' Party , existed from 1919 to 1920...
to power in 1933 forced him to resign his position. However, the great Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n statesman, academic and polymath Nicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, poet and playwright. Co-founder of the Democratic Nationalist Party , he served as a member of Parliament, President of the Deputies' Assembly and Senate, cabinet minister and briefly as Prime Minister...
, himself a widely respected historian of the Ottoman Empire, invited Babinger to take up a position in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, which he held until he was ordered out of the country in 1943.
Babinger resumed his teaching career after the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
at the University of Munich in 1948 until his retirement in 1958. In 1957, he testified about German atrocities against Romanian Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
. He continued to work and publish actively until his accidental death by drowning in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
on June 23, 1967.
Work
In addition to his bibliographical work, Babinger published numerous articles and books on a wide variety of subjects. Babinger knew TurkishTurkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
, Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
as well as the principal European languages, giving his work a scope and authority that had hitherto rarely been displayed in Near Eastern studies.
As a result of his reputation, his magnum opus Mehmed the Conqueror was published without any accompanying notes
Citation
Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source . More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source (not always the original source). More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated...
on source material
Primary source
Primary source is a term used in a number of disciplines to describe source material that is closest to the person, information, period, or idea being studied....
at all, since the companion volume outlining his extensive and voluminous sources was sadly unfinished at the time of his death. As a result, Mehmed the Conqueror is one of the few academic works available with no cited sources and whose authority rests solely on the reputation of the author's research abilities.
In a testament to the outstanding breadth of that research, his papers and library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
were acquired in 1973 by the Near East Section of the University of Washington Libraries
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
to complement their collection.
Principal Publications
- Geschichtsschreiber der Osmanen und ihre Werke (1923)
- Mehmed der Eroberer und seine Zeit (1953)