Karl Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Lachmann (German: [ˈlaxman]; 4 March 1793 – 13 March 1851) was a German philologist and critic. He is particularly noted for his foundational contributions to the field of textual criticism.
In January 1818, he became professor extraordinarius of classical philology in the University of Königsberg, and at the same time began to lecture on Old Germangrammar and the Middle High German poets. He devoted himself during the following seven years to an extraordinarily detailed study of those subjects, and in 1824, obtained a leave of absence in order to search the libraries of middle and south Germany for further materials.
In 1825, Lachmann was nominated extraordinary professor of classical and German philology at the Humboldt University, Berlin (ordinary professor 1827); in 1830, he was admitted a member of the Academy of Sciences. He died in Berlin.
Importance in scholarship
Lachmann is a figure of considerable importance in the history of German philology.[3]
Early in his career, Lachmann translated the first volume of P.E. Müller's Sagabibliothek des skandinavischen Altertums (1816). In his "Habilitationsschrift" über die ursprungliche Gestalt des Gedichts von der Nibelungen Noth (1816), and in his review of Hagen's Nibelungen and Benecke's Bonerius, contributed in 1817 to the Jenaische Literaturzeitung, he had already laid down the rules[clarification needed] of textual criticism and elucidated the phonetic and metrical principles of Middle High German in a manner which marked a distinct advance in that branch of investigation.
The rigidly scientific[clarification needed] character of his method becomes increasingly apparent in the Auswahl aus den hochdeutschen Dichtern des dreizehnten Jahrhunderts (1820); in the edition of Hartmann's Iwein (1827); in those of Walther von der Vogelweide (1827) and Wolfram von Eschenbach (1833); in the papers "Über das Hildebrandslied," "Über althochdeutsche Betonung und Verskunst," "Über den Eingang des Parzivals," and "Über drei Bruchstücke niederrheinischer Gedichte" published in the Abhandlungen of the Berlin Academy; and in Der Nibelunge Not und die Klage (1826), which was followed by a critical commentary in 1836.
Lachmann's Betrachtungen über Homer's Iliad, first published in the Abhandlungen of the Berlin Academy in 1837 and 1841, in which he sought to show that the Iliad consists of eighteen independent "layers" variously enlarged and interpolated[clarification needed], had considerable influence on 19th century Homeric scholarship, although his views are no longer accepted.[citation needed]
His smaller edition of the New Testament appeared in 1831, the 3rd edition in 1846, and the larger second edition, in two volumes, between 1842 and 1850. The plan of Lachmann's edition, which he explained in Theologische Studien und Kritiken (1830),[4] is a modification of the unaccomplished project of Richard Bentley (formulated in 1720) to establish a more reliable critical Greek edition of the New Testament than the Textus Receptus. Lachmann was the first major editor to break from the Textus Receptus, seeking to restore the most ancient reading current in manuscripts of the Alexandrian text-type, using the agreement of the Western authorities (Old Latin and Greek Western Uncials)[clarification needed] as the main proof of antiquity of a reading where the oldest Alexandrian authorities differ.
Lachmann's edition of Lucretius (1850), which was the principal occupation of his life from 1845, is perhaps his greatest achievement of scholarship. He demonstrated how the three main manuscripts all derived from one archetype, containing 302 pages of 26 lines to a page. Further, he was able to show that this archetype was a copy of a manuscript written in a minuscule hand, which was in turn a copy of a manuscript of the 4th or 5th centuries written in rustic capitals. To say his recreation of the text was 'accepted' is an understatement; HAJ Munro characterized this accomplishment as "a work which will be a landmark for scholars as long as the Latin language continues to be studied." Lachmann also edited Propertius (1816); Catullus (1829); Tibullus (1829); Genesius (1834); Terentianus Maurus (1836); Babrius (1845); Avianus (1845); Gaius (1841–1842); the Agrimensores Romani (1848–1852); and Lucilius (edited after his death by Vahlen, 1876). He also translated Shakespeare's sonnets (1820) and Macbeth (1829).
^"Rechenschaft über seine Ausgabe des Neuen Testaments", Theologische Studien und Kritiken (1830), p. 817—845. Lachmann's 1831 edition contains no commentary except for a short text in Latin, in which he refers to this 1830 explanation in German: "De ratione et consilio huius editionis loco commodiore expositum est (theolog. Studien und Kritiken 1830, p. 817 — 845). hic satis erit dixisse, editorem nusquam iudicium suum, sed consuetudinem antiquissimarum Orientis ecclesiarum secutum esse. hanc quoties minus constantem fuisse animadvertit, quantum fieri potuit ea quae Italorum et Afrorum consensu comprobarentur praetulit: ubi pervagatam omnium auctorum discrepantiam deprehendit, partim uncis partim in marginibus indicavit. quo factum est ut vulgatae et nis proximis duobus saeculis receptae lectionis ratio haberi non posset. huius diversitas hic in fine libri adiecta est, quoniam ea res doctis iudicibus necessaria esse videbatur." ("The nature and design of this edition has been explained in a more convenient place (theolog. Studien und Kritiken 1830, p. 817–845). It will be sufficient to have said here, that the editor never followed his own judgement, but followed the custom of the most ancient churches of the East. He notes that, as far as possible, he preferred those things which should be approved by the consent of the Italians and Africans: when he discovered a discrepancy spread over all the authors, he pointed it out partly in brackets and partly in the margins. This diversity was added here at the end of the book, because that matter seemed necessary to the learned judges.")
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Lachmann, Karl Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 50.
January 26, 2023
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This article relies excessively on references to primary sources Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources Find sources Karl Lachmann news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Karl Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Lachmann German ˈlaxman 4 March 1793 13 March 1851 was a German philologist and critic He is particularly noted for his foundational contributions to the field of textual criticism Karl Lachmann Contents 1 Biography 2 Importance in scholarship 3 See also 4 Notes 5 ReferencesBiography EditLachmann was born in Brunswick in present day Lower Saxony He studied at Leipzig and Gottingen devoting himself mainly to philological studies In Gottingen he founded a critical and philological society in 1811 in conjunction with Dissen Schulze and Bunsen 1 2 In 1815 he joined the Prussian army as a volunteer chasseur and accompanied his detachment to Paris but did not see active service In 1816 he became an assistant master in the Friedrichswerder gymnasium at Berlin and a Privatdozent at the university The same summer he became one of the principal masters in the Friedrichs Gymnasium of Konigsberg where he assisted his colleague the Germanist Friedrich Karl Kopke with his edition of Rudolf von Ems Barlaam und Josaphat 1818 and also assisted his friend in a contemplated edition clarification needed of the works of Walther von der Vogelweide In January 1818 he became professor extraordinarius of classical philology in the University of Konigsberg and at the same time began to lecture on Old German grammar and the Middle High German poets He devoted himself during the following seven years to an extraordinarily detailed study of those subjects and in 1824 obtained a leave of absence in order to search the libraries of middle and south Germany for further materials In 1825 Lachmann was nominated extraordinary professor of classical and German philology at the Humboldt University Berlin ordinary professor 1827 in 1830 he was admitted a member of the Academy of Sciences He died in Berlin Importance in scholarship EditLachmann is a figure of considerable importance in the history of German philology 3 Early in his career Lachmann translated the first volume of P E Muller s Sagabibliothek des skandinavischen Altertums 1816 In his Habilitationsschrift uber die ursprungliche Gestalt des Gedichts von der Nibelungen Noth 1816 and in his review of Hagen s Nibelungen and Benecke s Bonerius contributed in 1817 to the Jenaische Literaturzeitung he had already laid down the rules clarification needed of textual criticism and elucidated the phonetic and metrical principles of Middle High German in a manner which marked a distinct advance in that branch of investigation The rigidly scientific clarification needed character of his method becomes increasingly apparent in the Auswahl aus den hochdeutschen Dichtern des dreizehnten Jahrhunderts 1820 in the edition of Hartmann s Iwein 1827 in those of Walther von der Vogelweide 1827 and Wolfram von Eschenbach 1833 in the papers Uber das Hildebrandslied Uber althochdeutsche Betonung und Verskunst Uber den Eingang des Parzivals and Uber drei Bruchstucke niederrheinischer Gedichte published in the Abhandlungen of the Berlin Academy and in Der Nibelunge Not und die Klage 1826 which was followed by a critical commentary in 1836 Lachmann s Betrachtungen uber Homer s Iliad first published in the Abhandlungen of the Berlin Academy in 1837 and 1841 in which he sought to show that the Iliad consists of eighteen independent layers variously enlarged and interpolated clarification needed had considerable influence on 19th century Homeric scholarship although his views are no longer accepted citation needed His smaller edition of the New Testament appeared in 1831 the 3rd edition in 1846 and the larger second edition in two volumes between 1842 and 1850 The plan of Lachmann s edition which he explained in Theologische Studien und Kritiken 1830 4 is a modification of the unaccomplished project of Richard Bentley formulated in 1720 to establish a more reliable critical Greek edition of the New Testament than the Textus Receptus Lachmann was the first major editor to break from the Textus Receptus seeking to restore the most ancient reading current in manuscripts of the Alexandrian text type using the agreement of the Western authorities Old Latin and Greek Western Uncials clarification needed as the main proof of antiquity of a reading where the oldest Alexandrian authorities differ Lachmann s edition of Lucretius 1850 which was the principal occupation of his life from 1845 is perhaps his greatest achievement of scholarship He demonstrated how the three main manuscripts all derived from one archetype containing 302 pages of 26 lines to a page Further he was able to show that this archetype was a copy of a manuscript written in a minuscule hand which was in turn a copy of a manuscript of the 4th or 5th centuries written in rustic capitals To say his recreation of the text was accepted is an understatement HAJ Munro characterized this accomplishment as a work which will be a landmark for scholars as long as the Latin language continues to be studied Lachmann also edited Propertius 1816 Catullus 1829 Tibullus 1829 Genesius 1834 Terentianus Maurus 1836 Babrius 1845 Avianus 1845 Gaius 1841 1842 the Agrimensores Romani 1848 1852 and Lucilius edited after his death by Vahlen 1876 He also translated Shakespeare s sonnets 1820 and Macbeth 1829 See also EditLachmann s lawNotes Edit Ripley George Dana Charles A eds 1879 Lachmann Karl The American Cyclopaedia Wilhelm Scherer 1883 Lachmann Karl Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie ADB in German vol 17 Leipzig Duncker amp Humblot pp 471 481 See Rudolf von Raumer Geschichte der germanischen Philologie 1870 Rechenschaft uber seine Ausgabe des Neuen Testaments Theologische Studien und Kritiken 1830 p 817 845 Lachmann s 1831 edition contains no commentary except for a short text in Latin in which he refers to this 1830 explanation in German De ratione et consilio huius editionis loco commodiore expositum est theolog Studien und Kritiken 1830 p 817 845 hic satis erit dixisse editorem nusquam iudicium suum sed consuetudinem antiquissimarum Orientis ecclesiarum secutum esse hanc quoties minus constantem fuisse animadvertit quantum fieri potuit ea quae Italorum et Afrorum consensu comprobarentur praetulit ubi pervagatam omnium auctorum discrepantiam deprehendit partim uncis partim in marginibus indicavit quo factum est ut vulgatae et nis proximis duobus saeculis receptae lectionis ratio haberi non posset huius diversitas hic in fine libri adiecta est quoniam ea res doctis iudicibus necessaria esse videbatur The nature and design of this edition has been explained in a more convenient place theolog Studien und Kritiken 1830 p 817 845 It will be sufficient to have said here that the editor never followed his own judgement but followed the custom of the most ancient churches of the East He notes that as far as possible he preferred those things which should be approved by the consent of the Italians and Africans when he discovered a discrepancy spread over all the authors he pointed it out partly in brackets and partly in the margins This diversity was added here at the end of the book because that matter seemed necessary to the learned judges References Edit This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Lachmann Karl Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 16 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 50 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Karl Lachmann amp oldid 1133108416, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
