Hartmut Lehmann (born April 29, 1936) is a German historian of
modern history who specializes in
religious
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...
and
social history. He is known for his research on
Pietism
Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christian life, including a social concern for the needy an ...
,
secularization
In sociology, secularization (or secularisation) is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions. The ''secularization thesis'' expresses the ...
, religion and
nationalism
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
,
transatlantic studies Transatlantic studies refers to the relatively recent educational discipline studying the economic, cultural, political, and social linkages between Atlantic countries, often the United States and Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventio ...
and
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...
. He was the founding director of the
German Historical Institute Washington DC and was a director of the
Max Planck Institute for History. He is an emeritus honorary professor at
Kiel University
Kiel University, officially the Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel, (german: Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, abbreviated CAU, known informally as Christiana Albertina) is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in ...
and the
University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...
.
Life and career
Born on April 29, 1936, in
Reutlingen
Reutlingen (; Swabian: ''Reitlenga'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous district of Reutlingen. As of June 2018, it has a population of 115,818.
Reutlingen has a university of applied sciences, which ...
in
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
, he completed his Abitur at the Nargolder Gymnasium in
Nagold
Nagold is a town in southwestern Germany, bordering the Northern Black Forest. It is located in the ''Landkreis'' (district) of Calw (Germany/Baden-Württemberg). Nagold is known for its ruined castle, Hohennagold Castle, and for its road viad ...
in 1955 and was an exchange student in
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city and the county seat of Cortland County, New York. Known as the Crown City, Cortland is in New York's Southern Tier region. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 17,556.
The city of Cortland, near the county's western bo ...
(1952/1953).
Lehmann first studied history, English, German, political science and philosophy at the
University of Tübingen
The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-W ...
and went on to study at the
University of Bristol
, mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'')
, established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter
, type ...
and
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
and later again at Tübingen. Lehmann completed his habilitation at the
University of Köln under the direction of Adam Wandruszka.
Lehmann was a university lecturer at the
University of Köln, a guest professor at the
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California S ...
, and a research fellow at the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
before becoming a professor at
Kiel University
Kiel University, officially the Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel, (german: Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, abbreviated CAU, known informally as Christiana Albertina) is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in ...
. During this time of professorship, Lehmann also had research fellowships and was a guest professor at the
Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...
in Canberra,
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
, and
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
.
Lehmann moved to
Washington D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
to become the founding director of the
German Historical Institute Washington DC from 1987 to 1993. Lehmann helped the institution gain academic independence and facilitated its incorporation into American academics. Lehmann also became the managing director and was a member of the
Max-Planck-Institute for History in the 1990s.
For several years, Lehmann taught as an honorary professor at both
Kiel University
Kiel University, officially the Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel, (german: Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, abbreviated CAU, known informally as Christiana Albertina) is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in ...
and the
University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...
until his retirement in 2004. Since his retirement, he has been a guest professor at several universities, including
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...
,
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...
,
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
,
Pennsylvania State University, and
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of t ...
.
Awards
*Honorary Member of the
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association (AHA) is the oldest professional association of historians in the United States and the largest such organization in the world. Founded in 1884, the AHA works to protect academic freedom, develop professional s ...
(2020)
*Honorary Doctorate in Theology,
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki ( fi, Helsingin yliopisto, sv, Helsingfors universitet, abbreviated UH) is a public research university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but founded in the city of Turku (in Swedish ''Åbo'') in 1640 as the ...
(2017)
*Honorary Doctorate in Theology,
Lund University
, motto = Ad utrumque
, mottoeng = Prepared for both
, established =
, type = Public research university
, budget = SEK 9 billion [University of Basel
The University of Basel (Latin: ''Universitas Basiliensis'', German: ''Universität Basel'') is a university in Basel, Switzerland. Founded on 4 April 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university and among the world's oldest surviving universit ...]
(1999)
*Member of the
Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities
The Göttingen Academy of Sciences (german: Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen)Note that the German ''Wissenschaft'' has a wider meaning than the English "Science", and includes Social sciences and Humanities. is the second oldest of the se ...
*International Honorary Member of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...
(1995–present)
Selected works
Monographs
*''Österreich-Ungarn und die belgische Frage im ersten Weltkrieg''. 1959 (Dissertation,
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich hist ...
, 1959).
*''Pietismus und weltliche Ordnung in Württemberg vom 17. bis zum 20. Jahrhundert.'' Kohlhammer, Stuttgart u. a. 1969 (Habilitation, University of Köln, 1967).
*''Das Zeitalter des Absolutismus. Gottesgnadentum und Kriegsnot'' (= Christentum und Gesellschaft. Bd. 9). Kohlhammer, Stuttgart u. a. 1980, ISBN 3-17-005813-4.
*''Martin Luther in the American Imagination'' (= American Studies. Bd. 63). Fink, München 1988, ISBN 3-7705-2478-0.
*''Alte und neue Welt in wechselseitiger Sicht. Studien zu den transatlantischen Beziehungen im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert'' (= Veröffentlichungen des Max-Planck-Instituts für Geschichte. Bd. 119). Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen 1995, ISBN 3-525-35433-9.
*''Max Webers „Protestantische Ethik“. Beiträge aus der Sicht eines Historikers'' (= Kleine Vandenhoeck-Reihe. Bd. 1579). Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen, 1996, ISBN 3-525-33575-X.
*''Protestantische Weltsichten. Transformationen seit dem 17. Jahrhundert. Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht'', Göttingen 1998, ISBN 3-525-01373-6.
*''Protestantisches Christentum im Prozeß der Säkularisierung.'' Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen 2001, ISBN 3-525-36250-1
*''Säkularisierung. Der europäische Sonderweg in Sachen Religion'' (= Bausteine zu einer europäischen Religionsgeschichte im Zeitalter der Säkularisierung. Bd. 5). Wallstein-Verlag, Göttingen 2004, ISBN 3-89244-820-5 (2., erweiterte Auflage. ebenda 2007, ISBN 978-3-89244-820-4).
*''Transformationen der Religion in der Neuzeit. Beispiele aus der Geschichte des Protestantismus'' (= Veröffentlichungen des Max-Planck-Instituts für Geschichte. Bd. 230). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2007, ISBN 978-3-525-35885-6.
*''Die Entzauberung der Welt. Studien zu Themen von Max Weber'' (= Bausteine zu einer europäischen Religionsgeschichte im Zeitalter der Säkularisierung. Bd. 11). Wallstein-Verlag, Göttingen 2009, ISBN 978-3-8353-0456-7.
*''Religiöse Erweckung in gottferner Zeit. Studien zur Pietismusforschung'' (= Bausteine zu einer europäischen Religionsgeschichte im Zeitalter der Säkularisierung. Bd. 12). Wallstein-Verlag, Göttingen 2010, ISBN 978-3-8353-0597-7.
*''Das Christentum im 20. Jahrhundert. Fragen, Probleme, Perspektiven'' (= Kirchengeschichte in Einzeldarstellungen. Abt. 4: Neueste Kirchengeschichte. Bd. 9). Evangelische Verlags-Anstalt, Leipzig 2012, ISBN 978-3-374-02500-8.
*''Luthergedächtnis 1817 bis 2017'' (= Refo500. Bd. 8). Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen u. a. 2012, ISBN 978-3-525-55039-7.
*''Das Reformationsjubiläum 2017''. Umstrittenes Erinnern (= Refo500. Bd. 70). Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen 2021, ISBN 978-3-525-56038-9.
Edited Volumes
*with
James J. Sheehan, ''An Interrupted Past : German-Speaking Refugee Historians in the United States after 1933'', Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1991.
*with William R. Hutchinson, ''Many are chosen : divine election and western nationalism'', Fortress Press, Minneapolis, 1994.
*with
Guenther Roth, ''Weber's Protestant Ethic: Origins, Evidence, Contexts'', Cambridge England: German Historical Institute; Cambridge University Press. 1995.
*with R. Po-Chia Hsia, ''In and Out of the Ghetto: Jewish-Gentile Relations in Late Medieval and Early Modern Germany'' Washington D.C. Cambridge: German Historical Institute ; Cambridge University Press.
* with
Veer Peter van der, ''Nation and Religion : Perspectives on Europe and Asia''. Princeton (New Jersey): Princeton University Press. 1999.
*with Van Horn Melton, James, ''Paths of Continuity: Central European Historiography from the 1930s to the 1950s'' Cambridge University Press. 2003.
*with Otto Gerhard Oexle: Nationalsozialismus in den Kulturwissenschaften. 2 Bände. Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen 2004;
*Volume 1: Fächer, Milieus, Karrieren (= Veröffentlichungen des Max-Planck-Instituts für Geschichte. Bd. 200). 2004, ISBN 3-525-35198-4;
*Volume 2: Leitbegriffe – Deutungsmuster – Paradigmenkämpfe. Erfahrungen und Transformationen im Exil (= Veröffentlichungen des Max-Planck-Instituts für Geschichte. Bd. 211). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2004, ISBN 3-525-35862-8.
*with Hermann Wellenreuther, ''In Search of Peace and Prosperity: New German Settlements in Eighteenth-Century Europe and America'', Penn State Press, University Park, 2010.
*with
Andreas W. Daum,
James J. Sheehan: The Second Generation. Émigrés from Nazi Germany as Historians. With a Biobibliographic Guide. New York 2016, ISBN 978-1-78238-985-9.
*with James Van Horn Melton and Johnathan Strom, ''Pietism in Germany and North America 1680–1820'', London and New York, Routledge, 2019.
References
External links
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Hartmut Lehmannat
Kiel University
Kiel University, officially the Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel, (german: Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, abbreviated CAU, known informally as Christiana Albertina) is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in ...
Interview mit Hartmut Lehmannzum Thema: "Neubeginn und Entwicklung der deutschen Geschichtswissenschaft in den 1950/60er Jahren"
Hartmut Lehmann, “1517–2017: Martin Luther’s Great Anniversary in an Age of Religious Pluralism & Secularization”-Dean’s Lecture
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lehmann, Hartmut
Living people
1936 births
University of Tübingen alumni
University of Vienna alumni
Alumni of the University of Bristol
University of Cologne alumni
Academic staff of the University of Kiel
Academic staff of the University of Göttingen
German historians
20th-century German historians
21st-century German historians
German Historical Institute, Washington, DC
Members of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Max Planck Institute directors