Gustav Neckel
Encyclopedia
Gustav Neckel was a German
scholar of medieval German studies
and Old Norse
.
His parents were Gustav Neckel (1844–1923), an industrialist and businessman, and Amanda, née
Paetow (1854–1914).
After completing his Abitur
in Wismar in 1896, Neckel studied German philology
at Munich (1896–1897), Leipzig
(1897–1898) and Berlin
(1898–1902), from where he received his doctorate in 1900 under Andreas Heusler. He then worked as a teacher until completing his Habilitation
and becoming a lecturer at the University of Breslau in 1909.
Beginning in 1911, he was Professor of Old Norse at Heidelberg University, then in 1919–1920 at Berlin. From summer semester 1920 until 1935 he succeeded Heusler as Professor of Germanic Studies, with emphasis on the Scandinavian languages. From 1935 to 1937 he was founding Head of the Old Norse Division of the Department of Germanic Studies at the University of Göttingen, then from 1937 to 1940 Professor of Germanic Philology at Berlin, where he was, however, unable to work due to illness; he had a "nervous condition" from which he had barely recovered when he died suddenly of a pulmonary infection.
Neckel's career was disturbed by conflict with Bernhard Kummer and an accusation that he had seduced a student, which led to his being replaced by Kummer at Berlin and having to move to Göttingen; the chair, the most prominent in the field, came with him and a new division was created for him within the Göttingen Department of Germanic Studies.
Neckel resisted the politicisation of his department at Berlin and was open-minded on race and its relevance to his discipline; nevertheless, the increasingly völkisch point of view in his writings, his initial support for Kummer and Herman Wirth and his advocacy of the autochthonous theory of the origin of the runes have led some to see a marked decline in the calibre of his scholarly work beginning in the mid-1920s. His former teacher Heusler wrote repeatedly to his friend Wilhelm Ranisch that he seemed "no longer entirely sane" and that he seemed to have developed "an unhealthy ambition, not to say megalomania".
Neckel's research focused on early Germanic studies and Old Norse. He published the standard German edition of the Elder Edda. Continuing the approach of Jacob Grimm
and of Heusler, he saw all Germanic sources, regardless of period or geographic location, as contributing to the picture of a unified Germanic culture. This culture he believed ethically superior to the medieval Christianity which overtook it, particularly in its respect for women. Heusler and others have considered conflict between idealogues within the Nazi regime, specifically between the Amt Rosenberg
, the Ministry and the Ahnenerbe
, at least partly to blame for his banishment to Göttingen.
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...
scholar of medieval German studies
German studies
German studies is the field of humanities that researches, documents, and disseminates German language and literature in both its historic and present forms. Academic departments of German studies often include classes on German culture, German history, and German politics in addition to the...
and Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
.
His parents were Gustav Neckel (1844–1923), an industrialist and businessman, and Amanda, née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Paetow (1854–1914).
After completing his Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
in Wismar in 1896, Neckel studied German philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
at Munich (1896–1897), Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
(1897–1898) and 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...
(1898–1902), from where he received his doctorate in 1900 under Andreas Heusler. He then worked as a teacher until completing 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...
and becoming a lecturer at the University of Breslau in 1909.
Beginning in 1911, he was Professor of Old Norse at Heidelberg University, then in 1919–1920 at Berlin. From summer semester 1920 until 1935 he succeeded Heusler as Professor of Germanic Studies, with emphasis on the Scandinavian languages. From 1935 to 1937 he was founding Head of the Old Norse Division of the Department of Germanic Studies at the University of Göttingen, then from 1937 to 1940 Professor of Germanic Philology at Berlin, where he was, however, unable to work due to illness; he had a "nervous condition" from which he had barely recovered when he died suddenly of a pulmonary infection.
Neckel's career was disturbed by conflict with Bernhard Kummer and an accusation that he had seduced a student, which led to his being replaced by Kummer at Berlin and having to move to Göttingen; the chair, the most prominent in the field, came with him and a new division was created for him within the Göttingen Department of Germanic Studies.
Neckel resisted the politicisation of his department at Berlin and was open-minded on race and its relevance to his discipline; nevertheless, the increasingly völkisch point of view in his writings, his initial support for Kummer and Herman Wirth and his advocacy of the autochthonous theory of the origin of the runes have led some to see a marked decline in the calibre of his scholarly work beginning in the mid-1920s. His former teacher Heusler wrote repeatedly to his friend Wilhelm Ranisch that he seemed "no longer entirely sane" and that he seemed to have developed "an unhealthy ambition, not to say megalomania".
Neckel's research focused on early Germanic studies and Old Norse. He published the standard German edition of the Elder Edda. Continuing the approach of Jacob Grimm
Jacob Grimm
Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm was a German philologist, jurist and mythologist. He is best known as the discoverer of Grimm's Law, the author of the monumental Deutsches Wörterbuch, the author of Deutsche Mythologie and, more popularly, as one of the Brothers Grimm, as the editor of Grimm's Fairy...
and of Heusler, he saw all Germanic sources, regardless of period or geographic location, as contributing to the picture of a unified Germanic culture. This culture he believed ethically superior to the medieval Christianity which overtook it, particularly in its respect for women. Heusler and others have considered conflict between idealogues within the Nazi regime, specifically between the Amt Rosenberg
Amt Rosenberg
Amt Rosenberg was an official body for cultural policy and surveillance within the Nazi party, headed by Alfred Rosenberg.It was established in 1934 under the name of Dienststelle Rosenberg , with offices at Margarethenstraße 17 in Berlin, to the west of Potsdamer Platz.Due to the long official...
, the Ministry and the Ahnenerbe
Ahnenerbe
The Ahnenerbe was a Nazi German think tank that promoted itself as a "study society for Intellectual Ancient History." Founded on July 1, 1935, by Heinrich Himmler, Herman Wirth, and Richard Walther Darré, the Ahnenerbe's goal was to research the anthropological and cultural history of the Aryan...
, at least partly to blame for his banishment to Göttingen.
Selected publications
- Walhall. Studien über germanischen Jenseitsglauben. Dortmund: Ruhfus, 1913.
- Die Überlieferungen vom Gotte Balder. Dortmund: Ruhfus, 1920.
- Liebe und Ehe bei den vorchristlichen Germanen. Leipzig: Teubner, 1932.
- (Ed.) Edda. Die Lieder des Codex Regius nebst verwandten Denkmälern. Volume 1: Text. Heidelberg: Winter, 1914. Volume 2: Kommentierendes Glossar. 1927. (Revised editions ed. Hans Kuhn)
External links
- Books by and about Gustav Neckel in the catalogue of the German National LibraryGerman National LibraryThe German National Library is the central archival library and national bibliographic centre for the Federal Republic of Germany...
Sources
- Julia Zernack, "Gustav Karl Paul Christoph Neckel". In Internationales Germanistenlexikon 1800–1950, ed. Christoph König. 3 vols. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2003. ISBN 3-11-015485-4. Volume 2, pp. 1311-12.
- Germanistik und Politik in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus. Zwei Fallstudien: Hermann Schneider und Gustav Neckel. Ed. Klaus von See and Julia Zernack. Frankfurter Beiträge zur Germanistik 42. Heidelberg: Winter, 2004. ISBN 3-82-535022-3.