Erich Schmidt (historian)
Encyclopedia
Erich Schmidt was a German historian of literature.
, Jena, and Strassburg, established himself as privatdozent
at Würzburg
in 1875, became professor at Strassburg in 1877, at Vienna
in 1880, and director of the Goethe archive at Weimar
in 1885. Thence he was called to Berlin
in 1887, to succeed Wilhelm Scherer
in the chair of German language and literature.
Devoted almost exclusively to the investigation of modern literature, especially of the classical period, he published:
He edited:
Biography
He was the son of Oskar Schmidt. He studied Germanic philology and literary history at GrazUniversity of Graz
The University of Graz , a university located in Graz, Austria, is the second-largest and second-oldest university in Austria....
, Jena, and Strassburg, established himself as privatdozent
Privatdozent
Privatdozent or Private lecturer is a title conferred in some European university systems, especially in German-speaking countries, for someone who pursues an academic career and holds all formal qualifications to become a tenured university professor...
at Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
in 1875, became professor at Strassburg in 1877, at Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
in 1880, and director of the Goethe archive at Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
in 1885. Thence he was called to 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 1887, to succeed Wilhelm Scherer
Wilhelm Scherer
Wilhelm Scherer , German philologist and historian of literature.-Life:...
in the chair of German language and literature.
Devoted almost exclusively to the investigation of modern literature, especially of the classical period, he published:
- Richardson, Rousseau, und Goethe (1875)
- Lenz und Klinger (1878)
- Heinrich Leopold Wagner (1879)
- Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Klopstockschen Jugendlyrik (1880)
- Charakteristiken (1st series 1880; 2d series 1900)
- A biography of Lessing (2d ed. 1899)
He edited:
- Two volumes of the Schriften der Goethe-Gesellschaft (Weimar, 1886 and 1893)
- FaustGoethe's FaustJohann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust is a tragic play in two parts: and . Although written as a closet drama, it is the play with the largest audience numbers on German-language stages...
, for the Weimar edition - Goethe's Faust in ursprünglicher Gestalt (Goethe's Faust in its original form; 3d ed. 1894) which was discovered by him in DresdenDresdenDresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
.