In 1922, Maurer obtained a doctorate under the supervision of Otto Behaghel, who was to have a lasting influence on Maurer's work. Maurer then obtained a habilitation in German philology in 1925, becoming professor extraordinarius in 1929, still at Giessen, and later professor ordinarius at Erlangen (1931).
After World War II, the allied military government of Germany called on Maurer, who then founded scientific institutes at the partially-destroyed University of Freiburg and the University of Erlangen. In 1958 and 1959, Maurer chaired the League of German Scholars and cofounded the Institute for the German Language (Institut für Deutsche Sprache, IDS) at Mannheim.
In 1979, Maurer fell gravely ill and had to cease his work.[1] He died in 1984.
Maurer's 1942 linguistic work Nordgermanen und Alemannen ("Northern Germans and Alemanni") is considered his most important one, where he put forth a theory of the development of the Germanic languages that was strongly imbued with nationalistideology by hypothesizing a strong union of the Germanic peoples in antiquity; a theory that is still controversial. He sought to construct a conception of the West Germanic languages as precursors to Modern German. Against the common division of Germanic into North, East and West Germanic languages, he posited a fivefold division into North Germanic (Scandinavia), North Sea Germanic (Saxon, Frisian etc.), Weser-Rhine Germanic (Cherusci, Chatti, later Franks), Elbe Germanic (Suebi, Marcomanni, Lombards, later Alemanni) and Oder-Weichsel Germanic (Vandals, Burgundians, Goths). The theory was supported mainly by Tacitus and Pliny the Elder and especially the latter's observation in the Natural History of there being Germanorum genera quinque: "five kinds of Germans".[4]
Seeing a connection between supratribal groupings described (though marginally) by the Roman historians Pliny the Elder and Tacitus, he estimated that during a period ranging from roughly 50 BCE to c. 300 CE, five protolanguages (or dialect groups) emerged that included the direct, unattested, predecessors of all (West, North and East) Germanic languages, which have always remained in various degrees of contact.[5]
In the third edition of 1952, Maurer added archaeological evidence to support his classification, most notably citing Rafael von Uslar's article of the same year, "Archäologische Fundgruppen und germanische Stammesgebiete vornehmlich aus der Zeit um Christi Geburt." Maurer equated the five groups of findings discussed in that article with five linguistic groups. His theory has been criticized by later linguists, but they focused mainly on the terms that Maurer used by equating tribes and peoples to language groups and use of nationalistic jargon, which was then considered acceptable. No written evidence of the Germanic languages prior to the 7th century CE exists to prove or to disprove Maurer's thesis.[6]
^ abOtto zu Stolberg-Wernigerode, ed. (1990). "Maurer, Friedrich". Neue Deutsche Biographie. Duncker & Humblot.
^ abHutton, Christopher (2002). Linguistics and the Third Reich: Mother-tongue Fascism, Race and the Science of Language. Routledge. p. 325.
^Hempel-Küter, Christa (2000). Germanistik zwischen 1925 und 1955: Studien zur Welt der Wissenschaft am Beispiel von Hans Pyritz (in German). Akademie Verlag. p. 297.
^Friedrich Maurer (1942). Nordgermanen und Alemannen: Studien zur germanische und frühdeutschen Sprachgeschichte, Stammes- und Volkskunde, Strasbourg: Hünenburg.
^Johannes Hoops, Heinrich Beck, Dieter Geuenich, Heiko Steuer (1989). Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde. Band 7. Walter de Gruyter, ISBN9783110114454 (pp. 113–114).
Further reading
Friedrich Maurer (1942). Nordgermanen und Alemannen: Studien zur germanischen und frühdeutschen Sprachgeschichte, Stammes- und Volkskunde, Strasbourg: Hünenburg.
May 06, 2023
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Friedrich Maurer linguist news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message Friedrich Maurer 5 January 1898 7 November 1984 was a German philologist who specialized in Germanic studies Friedrich MaurerBorn 1898 01 05 5 January 1898Lindenfels Grand Duchy of Hesse German Empire now Lindenfels Hesse Germany Died7 November 1984 1984 11 07 aged 86 Merzhausen Baden Wurttemberg Federal Republic of GermanyAcademic backgroundInfluencesOtto BehaghelAcademic workMain interestsGermanisticsNotable worksNordgermanen und Alemannen Deutsche WortgeschichteMaurer s classification of German dialects Contents 1 Biography 2 Work 3 Awards 4 References 5 Further readingBiography EditMaurer started to study classical philology and comparative linguistics at the University of Frankfurt in 1916 The same year he was drafted and in 1917 he was gravely injured while he was fighting at the Western Front of World War I 1 causing him to spend the following period recovering in a military hospital at Heidelberg After the end of the war Maurer commenced full time studies of Germanistics at Heidelberg University 1918 and Giessen 1919 where he also took courses in classical philology and Indo European studies Both at Heidelberg and at Giessen Maurer was a member of the local chapters of the Wingolf In 1922 Maurer obtained a doctorate under the supervision of Otto Behaghel who was to have a lasting influence on Maurer s work Maurer then obtained a habilitation in German philology in 1925 becoming professor extraordinarius in 1929 still at Giessen and later professor ordinarius at Erlangen 1931 Having previously been a member of Der Stahlhelm Maurer joined the Sturmabteilung after the Nazi party took control of Germany in 1933 but left the organisation in 1935 2 He joined the Nazi Party in 1937 2 as well as the National Socialist Teachers League the National Socialist German Lecturers League and the Nationalsozialistischer Altherrenbund In the same year he became a full professor at Freiburg where he was to chair the Institute for German Philology until retiring in 1966 From 1938 1939 Maurer worked with the Ahnenerbe 3 After World War II the allied military government of Germany called on Maurer who then founded scientific institutes at the partially destroyed University of Freiburg and the University of Erlangen In 1958 and 1959 Maurer chaired the League of German Scholars and cofounded the Institute for the German Language Institut fur Deutsche Sprache IDS at Mannheim In 1979 Maurer fell gravely ill and had to cease his work 1 He died in 1984 Work EditLike Behaghel his thesis supervisor Maurer directed much attention to the study of dialects dialectology and dialect geography and to the comparative linguistics of German He published numerous works on medieval literature and poetry that were notable for their connections between literature studies cultural history prehistoric archaeology and sociology With Friedrich Stroh Maurer published Deutsche Wortgeschichte History of German Words in 1943 Maurer s 1942 linguistic work Nordgermanen und Alemannen Northern Germans and Alemanni is considered his most important one where he put forth a theory of the development of the Germanic languages that was strongly imbued with nationalist ideology by hypothesizing a strong union of the Germanic peoples in antiquity a theory that is still controversial He sought to construct a conception of the West Germanic languages as precursors to Modern German Against the common division of Germanic into North East and West Germanic languages he posited a fivefold division into North Germanic Scandinavia North Sea Germanic Saxon Frisian etc Weser Rhine Germanic Cherusci Chatti later Franks Elbe Germanic Suebi Marcomanni Lombards later Alemanni and Oder Weichsel Germanic Vandals Burgundians Goths The theory was supported mainly by Tacitus and Pliny the Elder and especially the latter s observation in the Natural History of there being Germanorum genera quinque five kinds of Germans 4 Seeing a connection between supratribal groupings described though marginally by the Roman historians Pliny the Elder and Tacitus he estimated that during a period ranging from roughly 50 BCE to c 300 CE five protolanguages or dialect groups emerged that included the direct unattested predecessors of all West North and East Germanic languages which have always remained in various degrees of contact 5 In the third edition of 1952 Maurer added archaeological evidence to support his classification most notably citing Rafael von Uslar s article of the same year Archaologische Fundgruppen und germanische Stammesgebiete vornehmlich aus der Zeit um Christi Geburt Maurer equated the five groups of findings discussed in that article with five linguistic groups His theory has been criticized by later linguists but they focused mainly on the terms that Maurer used by equating tribes and peoples to language groups and use of nationalistic jargon which was then considered acceptable No written evidence of the Germanic languages prior to the 7th century CE exists to prove or to disprove Maurer s thesis 6 Awards EditBruder Grimm Preis der Philipps Universitat Marburg 1963 Honorary doctorate of the University of Glasgow 1966 Jacob Burckhardt Preis 1976References Edit a b Otto zu Stolberg Wernigerode ed 1990 Maurer Friedrich Neue Deutsche Biographie Duncker amp Humblot a b Hutton Christopher 2002 Linguistics and the Third Reich Mother tongue Fascism Race and the Science of Language Routledge p 325 Hempel Kuter Christa 2000 Germanistik zwischen 1925 und 1955 Studien zur Welt der Wissenschaft am Beispiel von Hans Pyritz in German Akademie Verlag p 297 Pliny Nat Hist IV 99 Friedrich Maurer 1942 Nordgermanen und Alemannen Studien zur germanische und fruhdeutschen Sprachgeschichte Stammes und Volkskunde Strasbourg Hunenburg Johannes Hoops Heinrich Beck Dieter Geuenich Heiko Steuer 1989 Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde Band 7 Walter de Gruyter ISBN 9783110114454 pp 113 114 Further reading EditFriedrich Maurer 1942 Nordgermanen und Alemannen Studien zur germanischen und fruhdeutschen Sprachgeschichte Stammes und Volkskunde Strasbourg Hunenburg Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Friedrich Maurer linguist amp oldid 1133093865, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
