Leipzig school (sociology)
Encyclopedia
The Leipzig school was a branch of sociology
developed by a group of academics led by philosopher and sociologist Hans Freyer
at the University of Leipzig
, Germany
in the 1930s.
Freyer saw National Socialism
as an opportunity for him; many of his followers were politically active Nazis
. They included Arnold Gehlen
, Gunter Ipsen, Heinz Maus, Karl Heinz Pfeffer, and Helmut Schelsky
.
The National Socialist German Workers Party
did not allow any competing ideologies
to develop in universities; however, some of the Leipzig School group remained at the university until 1945. Their numbers declined as some emigrated (Günther) or made a career in the Third Reich (Gehlen, Ipsen, Pfeffer), and before the war ended, Freyer himself left to take up a teaching position at the University of Budapest.
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
developed by a group of academics led by philosopher and sociologist Hans Freyer
Hans Freyer
Hans Freyer, born July 31, 1887 in Leipzig, died January 18, 1969 in Ebersteinburg near Baden-Baden, was a conservative German sociologist and philosopher.-Life:...
at the University of 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...
, Germany
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...
in the 1930s.
Freyer saw National Socialism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
as an opportunity for him; many of his followers were politically active Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. They included Arnold Gehlen
Arnold Gehlen
Arnold Gehlen was an influential conservative German philosopher and sociologist.-Biography:His major influences while studying philosophy were Hans Driesch, Nicolai Hartmann and especially Max Scheler....
, Gunter Ipsen, Heinz Maus, Karl Heinz Pfeffer, and Helmut Schelsky
Helmut Schelsky
Helmut Schelsky, , was a German sociologist, the most influential in post-World War II Germany, well into the 1970s.-Biography:...
.
The National Socialist German Workers Party
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...
did not allow any competing ideologies
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
to develop in universities; however, some of the Leipzig School group remained at the university until 1945. Their numbers declined as some emigrated (Günther) or made a career in the Third Reich (Gehlen, Ipsen, Pfeffer), and before the war ended, Freyer himself left to take up a teaching position at the University of Budapest.
External links
Further reading
- Freyer/Gehlen/Schelsky (Die Leipziger Schule), article by Karl-Siegbert Rehberg, in Klassiker der Soziologie Bd.2, Beck´sche Reihe 1999. Published by Dirk Kaesler.
- Soziologische Denktraditionen Karl-Siegbert Rehberg, 2001. ISBN 3-518-29026-6