Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann (26 June 1918 – 12 June 1993) was a German folklorist, anthropologist and ethnologist. She was an academic teacher, from 1946 at the
German Academy of Sciences at Berlin
The German Academy of Sciences at Berlin, german: Deutsche Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin (DAW), in 1972 renamed the Academy of Sciences of the GDR (''Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR (AdW)''), was the most eminent research institution ...
in East Berlin and from 1961 at the
University of Marburg
The Philipps University of Marburg (german: Philipps-Universität Marburg) was founded in 1527 by Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, which makes it one of Germany's oldest universities and the oldest still operating Protestant university in the wor ...
.
Career
Born in Berlin, Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann studied ethnology, anthropology and prehistory, among others with .
She received a
doctor's degree
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' l ...
at the
Humboldt University of Berlin
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative ...
in 1940, on the topic of the ethnography of the German village Josefsdorf (now
Josipovac) in
Slavonia
Slavonia (; hr, Slavonija) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria, one of the four historical regions of Croatia. Taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with five Croatian counties: Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baran ...
. It was based on field trips to German settlements in Slavonia.
She also studied in Hungary,
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...
,
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
, and Turkey, focusing on the relation between different ethnic groups.
At the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, she was a Red Cross nurse in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
, where she met Jews who had been liberated from the
Theresienstadt concentration camp
Theresienstadt Ghetto was established by the SS during World War II in the fortress town of Terezín, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia ( German-occupied Czechoslovakia). Theresienstadt served as a waystation to the extermination ca ...
.
From 1946 to 1959 she was a scientific assistant and then from 1960 vice director at the ''Institut für deutsche Volkskunde'' at the
German Academy of Sciences at Berlin
The German Academy of Sciences at Berlin, german: Deutsche Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin (DAW), in 1972 renamed the Academy of Sciences of the GDR (''Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR (AdW)''), was the most eminent research institution ...
in East Berlin, while she lived in West Berlin.
When the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, she could no longer commute, and she accepted the offer of the
University of Marburg
The Philipps University of Marburg (german: Philipps-Universität Marburg) was founded in 1527 by Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, which makes it one of Germany's oldest universities and the oldest still operating Protestant university in the wor ...
to work at the ''Institut für mitteleuropäische Volksforschung'', later to be called ''Institut für Europäische Ethnologie/Kulturwissenschaft''.
Works
Her 1982 ''Buch der Weihnachtslieder'' (Book of Christmas carols) is a collection of 151 German
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French ori ...
s presented in a "cultural-historical context", including background information on lyricists and composers, of the history of each carol, and with period illustrations.
Her book ''Landleben im 19. Jahrhundert'' (Rural life in the 19th century), published in 1987, renders the reality of the situation of dependent workers on farms and of the work of children, which was different from idyllic bias about life on the country versus life in industrial production.
She died in
Marburg
Marburg ( or ) is a university town in the German federal state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district (''Landkreis''). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has a population of approxima ...
on 12 June 1993.
Selected publications
The German National Library holds 35 of her publications, including:
* ''Josefsdorf: Lebensbild eines deutschen Dorfes in Slawonien'' (= ''Deutsche Schriften zur Landes- und Volksforschung.'' vol. 15). Hirzel, Leipzig 1942,
Dissertation,
Universität Berlin, 1941, 84 Seiten).
* ''Erntebrauch in der ländlichen Arbeitswelt des 19. Jahrhunderts. Auf Grund der
Mannhardtbefragung in Deutschland von 1865'' (= ''Veröffentlichungen des Instituts für Mitteleuropäische Volksforschung an der Philipps-Universität Marburg-Lahn.'' Reihe A, Bd. 2). Elwert, Marburg 1965 (Habilitation, Universität Marburg).
* ''Deutsche Volkskunde zwischen Germanistik und Sozialwissenschaften'' (= ''Sammlung Metzler.'' vol. 79). Metzler, Stuttgart 1969.
* (with Walter Stolle) ''Volksleben in Hessen 1970. Arbeit, Werktag und Fest in traditioneller und industrieller Gesellschaft.'' Schwartz, Göttingen 1971, .
* ''Die deutsche Familie. Versuch einer Sozialgeschichte'' (= ''Suhrkamp-Taschenbuch.'' vol. 185). Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 1974, .
* ''Die Familie. Geschichte, Geschichten und Bilder.'' Insel, Frankfurt am Main 1976, .
* ''Das Weihnachtsfest. Eine Kultur- und Sozialgeschichte der
Weihnachtszeit.'' Bucher, Luzern / Frankfurt am Main 1978, .
* ''Die Kindheit. Kleidung und Wohnen, Arbeit und Spiel. Eine Kulturgeschichte.'' Frankfurt am Main 1979, .
* ''Volksfeste in Deutschland'' (= ''HB-Bildatlas spezial.'' Bd. 3). HB, Hamburg 1981.
* ''Das Buch der Weihnachtslieder''. Mit Klavier- oder Orgelbegleitung. Musical arrangements by . Schott, Mainz 1982, . Pocket book (Serie Musik Atlantis-Schott, Band 8213). 12th ed. Atlantis, Mainz 2010, .
* ''Der Kinder neue Kleider. 200 Jahre deutscher Kindermoden in ihrer sozialen Zeichensetzung'' (= ''Suhrkamp-Taschenbuch.'' vol. 1128). Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 1985, .
* ''Saure Wochen, frohe Feste. Fest und Alltag in der Sprache der Bräuche.'' Bucher, München / Luzern 1985, .
* ''Landleben im 19. Jahrhundert.'' Beck, München 1987, .
* ''Vom Handwerkersohn zum Millionär. Eine Berliner Karriere des 19. Jahrhunderts.'' Beck, München 1990, (Biography of ).
* ''Die Kinderstube'' (= ''Insel-Bücherei.'' Band 1126). Insel, Frankfurt am Main 1991, .
* ''Die helle und die dunkle Schwelle. Wie Kinder Geburt und Tod erleben'' (= ''Beck'sche Reihe.'' vol. 1035). Beck, München 1994, .
* ''Erinnern und vergessen: Autobiographisches und weitere Materialien.'' ed. Siegfried Becker, Andreas Bimmer. Jonas, Marburg 1993, .
* ''Das Buch der Kinderlieder.'' 235 alte und neue Lieder. Kulturgeschichte, Noten, Texte, Bilder. Klaviersätze von Hilger Schallehn and Manfred Schmitz. Schott, Mainz 1997, . Taschenbuch: Melodieausgabe mit Akkordbezifferung (Serie Musik Atlantis-Schott, Band 8370). 2. Auflage. Atlantis, Mainz 2010, .
Literature
* Siegfried Becker, Andreas C. Bimmer (Hrsg.): ''Ländliche Kultur. Internationales Symposion am Institut für Europäische Ethnologie und Kulturforschung, Marburg, zu Ehren von Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann.'' Göttingen 1990.
* Annemie Schenk: ''Interethnische Forschung.'' In: (ed.): ''Grundriss der Volkskunde: Einführung in die Forschungsfelder der europäischen Ethnologie.'' 3rd ed. Reimer, Berlin 2001, p. 363–390.
* ''Von der Sprachinselforschung zur Interethnik.'' In: Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann, Andreas C. Bimmer, Siegfried Becker: ''Einführung in die Volkskunde/Europäische Ethnologie. Eine Wissenschaftsgeschichte.'' 3rd ed. Metzler, Stuttgart 2003, p. 175–180.
References
External links
''Weggefährten: Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann'' Website of the
Wilhelm-Fraenger-Gesellschaft
Veröffentlichungen Ingeborg Weber-KellermannSuhrkamp
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weber-Kellermann, Ingeborg
German folklorists
Women folklorists
University of Marburg faculty
1918 births
1993 deaths
German Academy of Sciences at Berlin people
Humboldt University of Berlin alumni