Gustav von Ewers
Encyclopedia
Johann Philipp Gustav von Ewers or Evers (July 27, 1779 in Amelunxen – November 20, 1830 in Dorpat
) was a German
legal historian and the founder of Russian legal history
as a scholarly discipline.
Ewers was a farmer’s son from the village of Amelunxen (now a part of Beverungen
) in the Bishopric of Paderborn
. He first studied theology
and then political science
at the University of Göttingen.
His first employment, as was customary for a graduate from a poor background, was as a private tutor. This brought him to the Imperial Russian
province of Livonia
, where he was to remain for the rest of his life. While teaching, he pursued his scholarly interests, especially regarding Russian political and legal history, which became one of his main fields of study – one indeed of which he is often regarded the founder.
Influenced by the Hegelian definition of society and state, he described the traditional tribal structure of Russia as the foundation of Russian statehood, most notably in this 1826 monograph Das älteste Recht der Russen. Evers' ideas have found a continued reception among Russian legal theorists.
On the basis of his publications, he was offered in 1810 the Chair of History
, Statistics
, and Geography
of the Russian State at the University of Dorpat (now Tartu
) in what is today Estonia
. He occupied that chair until 1826, when he transferred to the Law Faculty. In 1816, Ewers declined an offer of the Chair of Political Economy
at the newly-founded University of Berlin
. In the same year, he had become Prorector of the University of Dorpat and in 1818, Rector
, to which office he was re-elected every year until his death in 1830.
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
) was a German
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...
legal historian and the founder of Russian legal history
Legal history
Legal history or the history of law is the study of how law has evolved and why it changed. Legal history is closely connected to the development of civilizations and is set in the wider context of social history...
as a scholarly discipline.
Ewers was a farmer’s son from the village of Amelunxen (now a part of Beverungen
Beverungen
Beverungen is a town in Höxter district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Location :Beverungen lies in the Weser Uplands on the side of the Weser opposite Solling roughly 10 km south of Höxter. In parts of the eastern municipal area near the river, the town has a share of the Weser Valley,...
) in the Bishopric of Paderborn
Bishopric of Paderborn
The Archdiocese of Paderborn is an Archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany; its seat is Paderborn. It was a diocese from its foundation in 799 until 1802, and again from 1821 until 1930. In 1930, it was promoted to an archdiocese...
. He first studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and then political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the University of Göttingen.
His first employment, as was customary for a graduate from a poor background, was as a private tutor. This brought him to the Imperial Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
province of Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
, where he was to remain for the rest of his life. While teaching, he pursued his scholarly interests, especially regarding Russian political and legal history, which became one of his main fields of study – one indeed of which he is often regarded the founder.
Influenced by the Hegelian definition of society and state, he described the traditional tribal structure of Russia as the foundation of Russian statehood, most notably in this 1826 monograph Das älteste Recht der Russen. Evers' ideas have found a continued reception among Russian legal theorists.
On the basis of his publications, he was offered in 1810 the Chair of History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
, and Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
of the Russian State at the University of Dorpat (now Tartu
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
) in what is today Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. He occupied that chair until 1826, when he transferred to the Law Faculty. In 1816, Ewers declined an offer of the Chair of Political Economy
Political economy
Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
at the newly-founded University of 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...
. In the same year, he had become Prorector of the University of Dorpat and in 1818, Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
, to which office he was re-elected every year until his death in 1830.
Selected works
- Provisorische Verfassung des Bauernstandes in Estland. 1805, 1806.
- Vom Ursprung des Russischen Staats. 1808
- Unangenehme Erinnerungen an August Ludwig Schlözer. 1810.
- Kritische Vorarbeiten zur Geschichte der Russen, 2 vols., 1814.
- Geschichte der Russen, vol. 1. 1816.
- Das älteste Recht der Russen in seiner geschichtlichen Entwicklung. 1826.
- Rhapsodische Gedanken über die wissenschaftliche Bedeutung des Naturrechts. 1828.
Further reading
- Djakonov, M.A. (1903). "Johann Philipp Gustav v. Ewers." In G.V. Levitski, ed. Biografitsheskii Slovar professorov i prepodavatelei imperatorskavo Juerjevskago, byvshago Derptskago Univesriteta sa sto let ego sushestvovania (1802-1902), vol. 2. Jurjev: Mattisen, 510-537.
- Drechsler, Wolfgang (1998). On the Eminence of the Social Sciences at the University of Dorpat. Aula Lectures. Tartu: at the University Press. (Includes the only biosketch in English.)
- Leppik, Lea (2001). Rektor Ewers. Tartu: Eesti Ajalooarhiiv.
- Schevcov, Vladimir (1976). Die Sippentheorie bei Gustav Ewers. Berlin.
- Stupperich, Robert (1975). Gustav Ewers. Paderborn: Westfälische Lebensbilder.
- Peeter Järvelaid. Põhikooli õpetaja Gustav Ewers Väimelast. – Eesti Elu (Toronto), 18. jaanuar 2008.
- Peeter Järvelaid. Õpetaja Gustav Ewers Väimelast. – Võrumaa Teataja, 12. jaanuar 2008.
External links
- Ostdeutsche Biographie
- EEVA (Biography, Full texts, Image, Bibliography)