Julia Voss
Encyclopedia
Julia Voss is a German journalist and scientific historian. She is a writer and art critic at the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
.
, Humboldt University in Berlin and at Goldsmiths College in London. She received her master's degree in 2000 with a thesis on the literary forms of the debate on Darwinism ("Literarische Formen der Darwinismus-Debatte").
From 2001 to 2004, she pursued her art history dissertation, "One long Argument. Die Darwinismus-Debatte im Bild" as part of a research project at the Max Planck Institute. She examined the role of images in the development of Charles Darwin
's theory of evolution. She received her doctorate
at Humboldt University at the end of 2005 and was presented the Max Planck Society
's Otto Hahn
Award for her dissertation. Her dissertation was published in 2007. In 2008, she wrote an article about Michael Ende
's children's novel, Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer, in which she examined Ende's motives for writing the book. Written in 1960, Ende's novel is a classic in Germany and has been translated into 33 languages. In her article, called "Jim Button saves the theory of evolution" ("Jim Knopf rettet die Evolutionstheorie"), Voss presented evidence that Ende wanted to write a contrast to Nazi racial ideology
and their misuse of Darwin's theory of evolution. Ende, who had grown up in Nazi Germany
, used numerous Nazi symbols and references in his book, reversing their discriminatory aspect and turning them into anti-racist and multi-cultural images. Voss' article also identified Jemmy Button
as the basis for Ende's lead character, Jim Knopf, translated in English as Jim Button.
Voss received the Sigmund Freud
Prize for Scientific Prose from the Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung
for her study of Darwin's theory of evolution in 2009. In 2009, she also served on the jury of the Venice Biennale
.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , short F.A.Z., also known as the FAZ, is a national German newspaper, founded in 1949. It is published daily in Frankfurt am Main. The Sunday edition is the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung .F.A.Z...
.
Biography
Voss was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. She majored in modern German literature, art history and philosophy at University of FreiburgUniversity of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
, Humboldt University in Berlin and at Goldsmiths College in London. She received her master's degree in 2000 with a thesis on the literary forms of the debate on Darwinism ("Literarische Formen der Darwinismus-Debatte").
From 2001 to 2004, she pursued her art history dissertation, "One long Argument. Die Darwinismus-Debatte im Bild" as part of a research project at the Max Planck Institute. She examined the role of images in the development of Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
's theory of evolution. She received her doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
at Humboldt University at the end of 2005 and was presented the Max Planck Society
Max Planck Society
The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes publicly funded by the federal and the 16 state governments of Germany....
's Otto Hahn
Otto Hahn
Otto Hahn FRS was a German chemist and Nobel laureate, a pioneer in the fields of radioactivity and radiochemistry. He is regarded as "the father of nuclear chemistry". Hahn was a courageous opposer of Jewish persecution by the Nazis and after World War II he became a passionate campaigner...
Award for her dissertation. Her dissertation was published in 2007. In 2008, she wrote an article about Michael Ende
Michael Ende
Michael Andreas Helmuth Ende was a German author of fantasy and children's literature. He is best known for his epic fantasy work The Neverending Story; other famous works include Momo and Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver...
's children's novel, Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer, in which she examined Ende's motives for writing the book. Written in 1960, Ende's novel is a classic in Germany and has been translated into 33 languages. In her article, called "Jim Button saves the theory of evolution" ("Jim Knopf rettet die Evolutionstheorie"), Voss presented evidence that Ende wanted to write a contrast to Nazi racial ideology
Nazism and race
Nazism developed several theories concerning races. The Nazis claimed to scientifically measure a strict hierarchy of human race; at the top was the master race, the "Aryan race", narrowly defined by the Nazis as being identical with the Nordic race, followed by lesser races.At the bottom of this...
and their misuse of Darwin's theory of evolution. Ende, who had grown up in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, used numerous Nazi symbols and references in his book, reversing their discriminatory aspect and turning them into anti-racist and multi-cultural images. Voss' article also identified Jemmy Button
Jemmy Button
Orundellico, known as "Jeremy Button" or "Jemmy Button", was a native Fuegian of the Yaghan people from islands around Tierra del Fuego, in modern Chile and Argentina...
as the basis for Ende's lead character, Jim Knopf, translated in English as Jim Button.
Voss received the Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
Prize for Scientific Prose from the Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung
Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung
The Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung was founded on August 28, 1949—the 200th birthday of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe—in Paulskirche in Frankfurt...
for her study of Darwin's theory of evolution in 2009. In 2009, she also served on the jury of the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
.
Publications
- Darwins Bilder. Ansichten der Evolutionstheorie 1837-1874. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main (2007) ISBN 3-596-17627-1
- Charles Darwin zur Einführung. Junius Verlag, Hamburg (2008) ISBN 978-3-88506-654-5
- Darwins Jim Knopf. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main (2009) ISBN 978-3-10-095805-1