Fritz Schachermeyr : ein Leben zwischen Wissenschaft und Politik / Martina Pesditschek

• VerfasserIn: Pesditschek, Martina
• Place / Publishing House: 2005
• Year of Publication: 2005
• Language: German
• Classification: 15.01 - Historiographie; 02.01 - Geschichte der Wissenschaft und Kultur
• Physical Description: 828 S.; Ill.

ger: This study reconstructs the (scholarly) life of Fritz Schachermeyr (1895-1987), probably Austrias most famous ancient historian. Schachermeyr was born in Linz-Urfahr and served during WWI in Tyrol, experienced front-line duty at the Issonzo, was subsequently stationed in Transylvania and Bucovina, and finally in the Orient (Mesopotamia). During his academic career he dealt with topics ranging from prehistory (considering mainly the region from the Near East to the Balkans) to the events which followed the death of Alexander the Great and also took great interest in philosophical aspects of history.<br />Following a position as a school teacher in Innsbruck, where he had taken his doctors degree in 1920 and achieved his state doctorate in 1928, Schachermeyr was appointed in 1931 as senior lecturer in ancient history at the University of Jena by the national socialist minister Wilhelm Frick. There he became involved with National Socialism, was promoted to the position of dean, and produced publications, integrating national socialist ideas of racial research into his historical methods and teaching subject. One year after his move to the University of Heidelberg where he was appointed professor in 1936, Schachermeyr was admitted to the national socialist party. In 1941 he moved again, becoming both professor and Dozentenführer in Graz. Although Schachermeyr was dismissed for political reasons from the university in 1945, he was readmitted to academic life in 1952. He taught and carried out research work at the University of Vienna until 1970, and having been elected as a member of the Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften had an influence upon scholarly life beyond his retirement. Despite his political past he was granted Austrias highest academic awards and public honours.