Carlotta Minna "Lotte" Labowsky (1905–1991) was a Jewish German classicist who left Germany in 1934 and became a Fellow of Somerville College, Oxford. She specialised in "the transmission of ancient Greek thought to the western world", working on the Corpus Platonicum Medii Aevi series and on the library of Bessarion.[1][2][3]
Labowsky was born 23 April 1905 in Hamburg to a Jewish family. She studied classics and philosophy in Munich and then took a doctorate in Heidelberg in 1932. She volunteered in the Warburg Library in Hamburg, established by Aby Warburg whose daughters had been her school-friends. After anti-Jewish legislation was introduced in 1933, the Warburg Library moved to London and became the Warburg Institute, and she was invited to continue her research there; she was a senior research fellow of the Warburg Institute 1946–1951.[1][3]
Refugee and scholarEdit
Labowsky moved to Oxford in 1934, and was supported initially by the Society for the Protection of Science and Learning (SPSL, later the Council for At-Risk Academics). She managed to bring her parents, and their furniture, out of Germany before the outbreak of war. By January 1939 the SPSL's support had reduced, and Somerville College offered to support Labowsky through free meals in the Senior Common Room and then through a research grant. The principal of the college, Helen Darbishire, wrote letters to protect Labowsky from internment as an enemy alien, and to ask for her father Norbert to be released after he was interned in June 1940.[1]
Somerville offered her the post of acting librarian in 1943, and in 1946 she was appointed as the Lady Carlisle Senior Research Fellow. She subsequently became an Additional Fellow and a member of the governing body of the college, and was an honorary research fellow from 1972 to 1991.[1]
Her scholarly work included the Corpus Platonicum Medii Aevi, working on this from 1936 along with Raymond Klibansky and continuing alone after 1941.[2][1] She studied the Greek manuscripts which Bessarion gave to the Republic of Venice, publishing Bessarion's Library and the Biblioteca Marciano in 1979, and wrote his biography for the Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani.[3] On her death in 1991, Labowsky's legacy to Somerville included a collection of antiquarian books, a painting by Paula Modersohn-Becker and funding for a fellowship named for Rosemary Woolf.[1]
She died in Oxford on 28 July 1991, aged 86. Her obituary in The Times said that she "...embodied the humanist tradition of a bygone age in Europe".[3]
Selected publicationsEdit
Die ethik des Panaitios : untersuchungen zur geschichte des decorum bei Cicero und Horaz (1934, Leipzig : F. Meiner)[4]
Corpus platonicum medii aevi. Auspiciis Academiae Britannicae adiuvantibus Instituto Warburgiano Londinensi unitisque academiis edidit Raymundus Klibansky. vol. 1. Meno. Interprete Henrico Aristippo. Edidit Victor Kordeuter. Recognovit et praefatione instruxit. Carlotta Labowsky. (1940–1953)[5]
Bessarion's library and the Biblioteca Marciana : six early inventories (1979, Warburg Institute)[6]
ReferencesEdit
^ abcdefO'Donnell, Kate (2017). "Lotte Labowsky:exiled German scholar, valued Somervillian" (PDF). Somerville Magazine: 10–11. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
^ abCrawford, Sally; Ulmschneider, Katharina; Elsner, Jaś (2017). Ark of Civilization: Refugee Scholars and Oxford University, 1930-1945. Oxford UP. pp. 11, etc. ISBN9780199687558. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
^ abcd"Lotte Labowsky (obituary)". The Times. 2 August 1991. p. 16.
^"Catalogue redord for "Die Ethik..."". Copac. 1979. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
^Catalogue record for "Corpus platonicum ...". Copac. 1968. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
^Catalogue record for "Bessarion's library ...". Copac. 1979. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
Further readingEdit
Weber, Regina (2012). Lotte Labowsky (1905-1991) - Schülerin Aby Warburgs, Kollegin Raymond Klibanskys: Eine Wissenschaftlerin zwischen Fremd- und Selbstbestimmung im englischen Exil (in German). Reimer, Dietrich. ISBN978-3496028543.
Trapp, J. B. (1992). Lotte Labowsky 1905-1991 : in memoriam. Oxford UP.
August 24, 2023
lotte, labowsky, carlotta, minna, lotte, labowsky, 1905, 1991, jewish, german, classicist, left, germany, 1934, became, fellow, somerville, college, oxford, specialised, transmission, ancient, greek, thought, western, world, working, corpus, platonicum, medii,. Carlotta Minna Lotte Labowsky 1905 1991 was a Jewish German classicist who left Germany in 1934 and became a Fellow of Somerville College Oxford She specialised in the transmission of ancient Greek thought to the western world working on the Corpus Platonicum Medii Aevi series and on the library of Bessarion 1 2 3 Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Refugee and scholar 3 Selected publications 4 References 5 Further readingEarly life and education EditLabowsky was born 23 April 1905 in Hamburg to a Jewish family She studied classics and philosophy in Munich and then took a doctorate in Heidelberg in 1932 She volunteered in the Warburg Library in Hamburg established by Aby Warburg whose daughters had been her school friends After anti Jewish legislation was introduced in 1933 the Warburg Library moved to London and became the Warburg Institute and she was invited to continue her research there she was a senior research fellow of the Warburg Institute 1946 1951 1 3 Refugee and scholar EditLabowsky moved to Oxford in 1934 and was supported initially by the Society for the Protection of Science and Learning SPSL later the Council for At Risk Academics She managed to bring her parents and their furniture out of Germany before the outbreak of war By January 1939 the SPSL s support had reduced and Somerville College offered to support Labowsky through free meals in the Senior Common Room and then through a research grant The principal of the college Helen Darbishire wrote letters to protect Labowsky from internment as an enemy alien and to ask for her father Norbert to be released after he was interned in June 1940 1 Somerville offered her the post of acting librarian in 1943 and in 1946 she was appointed as the Lady Carlisle Senior Research Fellow She subsequently became an Additional Fellow and a member of the governing body of the college and was an honorary research fellow from 1972 to 1991 1 Her scholarly work included the Corpus Platonicum Medii Aevi working on this from 1936 along with Raymond Klibansky and continuing alone after 1941 2 1 She studied the Greek manuscripts which Bessarion gave to the Republic of Venice publishing Bessarion s Library and the Biblioteca Marciano in 1979 and wrote his biography for the Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani 3 On her death in 1991 Labowsky s legacy to Somerville included a collection of antiquarian books a painting by Paula Modersohn Becker and funding for a fellowship named for Rosemary Woolf 1 She died in Oxford on 28 July 1991 aged 86 Her obituary in The Times said that she embodied the humanist tradition of a bygone age in Europe 3 Selected publications EditDie ethik des Panaitios untersuchungen zur geschichte des decorum bei Cicero und Horaz 1934 Leipzig F Meiner 4 Corpus platonicum medii aevi Auspiciis Academiae Britannicae adiuvantibus Instituto Warburgiano Londinensi unitisque academiis edidit Raymundus Klibansky vol 1 Meno Interprete Henrico Aristippo Edidit Victor Kordeuter Recognovit et praefatione instruxit Carlotta Labowsky 1940 1953 5 Bessarion s library and the Biblioteca Marciana six early inventories 1979 Warburg Institute 6 References Edit a b c d e f O Donnell Kate 2017 Lotte Labowsky exiled German scholar valued Somervillian PDF Somerville Magazine 10 11 Retrieved 4 February 2019 a b Crawford Sally Ulmschneider Katharina Elsner Jas 2017 Ark of Civilization Refugee Scholars and Oxford University 1930 1945 Oxford UP pp 11 etc ISBN 9780199687558 Retrieved 4 February 2019 a b c d Lotte Labowsky obituary The Times 2 August 1991 p 16 Catalogue redord for Die Ethik Copac 1979 Retrieved 6 February 2019 Catalogue record for Corpus platonicum Copac 1968 Retrieved 6 February 2019 Catalogue record for Bessarion s library Copac 1979 Retrieved 6 February 2019 Further reading EditWeber Regina 2012 Lotte Labowsky 1905 1991 Schulerin Aby Warburgs Kollegin Raymond Klibanskys Eine Wissenschaftlerin zwischen Fremd und Selbstbestimmung im englischen Exil in German Reimer Dietrich ISBN 978 3496028543 Trapp J B 1992 Lotte Labowsky 1905 1991 in memoriam Oxford UP Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lotte Labowsky amp oldid 1170351830, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
