Carl Erdmann
Encyclopedia
Carl Erdmann was a German
historian who specialized in medieval political and intellectual history. He is noted in particular for his study of the origins of the idea of crusading
in medieval Latin Christendom, as well as his work on letter collections and correspondence among secular and ecclesiastical elites in the eleventh century. He is often mentioned alongside Percy Ernst Schramm
and Ernst H. Kantorowicz as one of the most influential and important German scholars of medieval political culture in the twentieth century. His promising and remarkably prolific career was cut short by his death in the German army at the end of World War II
.
, Estonia) and raised in Blankenburg am Harz
, Saxony-Anhalt
, he initially studied to be a Lutheran minister in Berlin, but abandoned this vocation in 1919 to study history in Munich. In the wake of Germany's economic collapse in the early 1920s, however, Erdmann's family could no longer support him and he left the university to take a job as a private tutor with a wealthy German family living in Portugal. Erdmann remained in Portugal for four years and developed a deep interest in the language, history and culture of the country, particularly its medieval religious heritage. His job allowed him time to explore the archives and libraries of Lisbon and other cities, where he collected and studied enough material to form the basis of a doctoral dissertation on the history of the Crusades in medieval Portugal.
In 1925, Erdmann returned to Germany and entered the University of Würzburg
, where he earned his doctorate degree in 1926. Following the completion of his degree, he worked for several years at the Prussian Historical Institute in Rome (today the German Historical Institute) editing material relating to papal relations with Portugal and various other topics in church history that attracted his attention. In 1932, he submitted a manuscript at the University of Berlin on the origins of the idea of Crusade in the medieval West which earned him his Habilitation
, or qualification for appointment to an academic professorship. He later expanded this thesis and published it under the title Die Entstehung des Kreuzugsgedanken (The Origins of the Idea of Crusading) in 1935.
In the meantime, Erdmann was recruited by the Monumenta Germaniae Historica
(MGH), the prestigious historical institute dedicated to the critical editing and publishing of sources relating to German history in the medieval period. As an academic researcher (wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter) at the MGH, Erdmann was assigned the task of preparing editions for a number of important manuscript letter collections from the eleventh century relating to the history of the Investiture Controversy
and Gregorian Reform
. During this period, Erdmann made a number of critically important contributions to the study of epistolary literature in the Middle Ages and the role letters exchanged among bishops, abbots, kings and other elites played in communicating political ideas. His 1938 monograph, Studien zur Briefliteratur Deutschlands im XI. Jahrhundert (Studies on Epistolary Literature in Germany in the Eleventh Century) remains a classic on the subject. His final masterpiece, the critical edition of the letter collections from the reign of Henry IV
, was largely completed by the early 1940s, but could not be printed due to wartime difficulties. It was finally sent to press by the MGH in the 1950s.
. Although Erdmann continued to work at the MGH, his liberal views and refusal to join or endorse the Nazi Party effectively blacklist
ed him from further academic advancement, particularly at the university level. Furthermore, his book on the Crusades had been a thinly-veiled critique of a political value system that raised war and imperialism to the level of a religious creed. During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Erdmann's research on the early Saxon monarchs of Germany (the Ottonians) also dissented from the politically correct orthodoxy, raising questions about the rise and rule of a dynasty which figured prominently in Nazi historical propaganda. Towards the end of 1943, Erdmann was conscripted into the Wehrmacht
and the administration of the MGH, by now in the hands of academics friendly to the Nazi regime, declined to intervene on his behalf. He was trained as an Italian interpreter and sent to the Balkans where he served in Albania, and later in Croatia. He died of typhus
in an army camp near Zagreb
on 5 March 1945.
Erdmann's posthumously-published work is collected in:
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
historian who specialized in medieval political and intellectual history. He is noted in particular for his study of the origins of the idea of crusading
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
in medieval Latin Christendom, as well as his work on letter collections and correspondence among secular and ecclesiastical elites in the eleventh century. He is often mentioned alongside Percy Ernst Schramm
Percy Ernst Schramm
Percy Ernst Schramm was a German historian of medieval political symbolism and ritual. His research focused primarily on the ideology of the medieval state, particularly the ways in which the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire in the Middle Ages represented their authority through images and rituals,...
and Ernst H. Kantorowicz as one of the most influential and important German scholars of medieval political culture in the twentieth century. His promising and remarkably prolific career was cut short by his death in the German army at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Education and scholarship
Erdmann's curriculum vitae was not typical for a German academic of his generation. Born in Dorpat (now TartuTartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
, Estonia) and raised in Blankenburg am Harz
Blankenburg am Harz
Blankenburg is a town and health resort in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, at the north foot of the Harz Mountains, southwest of Halberstadt....
, Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
, he initially studied to be a Lutheran minister in Berlin, but abandoned this vocation in 1919 to study history in Munich. In the wake of Germany's economic collapse in the early 1920s, however, Erdmann's family could no longer support him and he left the university to take a job as a private tutor with a wealthy German family living in Portugal. Erdmann remained in Portugal for four years and developed a deep interest in the language, history and culture of the country, particularly its medieval religious heritage. His job allowed him time to explore the archives and libraries of Lisbon and other cities, where he collected and studied enough material to form the basis of a doctoral dissertation on the history of the Crusades in medieval Portugal.
In 1925, Erdmann returned to Germany and entered the University of Würzburg
University of Würzburg
The University of Würzburg is a university in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 1402. The university is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group.-Name:...
, where he earned his doctorate degree in 1926. Following the completion of his degree, he worked for several years at the Prussian Historical Institute in Rome (today the German Historical Institute) editing material relating to papal relations with Portugal and various other topics in church history that attracted his attention. In 1932, he submitted a manuscript at the University of Berlin on the origins of the idea of Crusade in the medieval West which earned him his Habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
, or qualification for appointment to an academic professorship. He later expanded this thesis and published it under the title Die Entstehung des Kreuzugsgedanken (The Origins of the Idea of Crusading) in 1935.
In the meantime, Erdmann was recruited by the Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Monumenta Germaniae Historica
The Monumenta Germaniae Historica is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published sources for the study of German history from the end of the Roman Empire to 1500.The society sponsoring the series was established by the Prussian reformer Heinrich Friedrich Karl Freiherr vom...
(MGH), the prestigious historical institute dedicated to the critical editing and publishing of sources relating to German history in the medieval period. As an academic researcher (wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter) at the MGH, Erdmann was assigned the task of preparing editions for a number of important manuscript letter collections from the eleventh century relating to the history of the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
and Gregorian Reform
Gregorian Reform
The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, circa 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy...
. During this period, Erdmann made a number of critically important contributions to the study of epistolary literature in the Middle Ages and the role letters exchanged among bishops, abbots, kings and other elites played in communicating political ideas. His 1938 monograph, Studien zur Briefliteratur Deutschlands im XI. Jahrhundert (Studies on Epistolary Literature in Germany in the Eleventh Century) remains a classic on the subject. His final masterpiece, the critical edition of the letter collections from the reign of Henry IV
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
, was largely completed by the early 1940s, but could not be printed due to wartime difficulties. It was finally sent to press by the MGH in the 1950s.
Political problems and military service
Under normal circumstances, a position at the MGH would have led to a prestigious university chair in medieval history within a few years and no-one doubted that Erdmann was the brightest rising young star in his field. However, in 1933, and particularly after 1935, German academic institutions and universities began to implement political controls in line with the policies of the new Nazi governmentNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. Although Erdmann continued to work at the MGH, his liberal views and refusal to join or endorse the Nazi Party effectively blacklist
Blacklist
A blacklist is a list or register of entities who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to blacklist can mean to deny someone work in a particular field, or to ostracize a person from a certain social circle...
ed him from further academic advancement, particularly at the university level. Furthermore, his book on the Crusades had been a thinly-veiled critique of a political value system that raised war and imperialism to the level of a religious creed. During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Erdmann's research on the early Saxon monarchs of Germany (the Ottonians) also dissented from the politically correct orthodoxy, raising questions about the rise and rule of a dynasty which figured prominently in Nazi historical propaganda. Towards the end of 1943, Erdmann was conscripted into the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
and the administration of the MGH, by now in the hands of academics friendly to the Nazi regime, declined to intervene on his behalf. He was trained as an Italian interpreter and sent to the Balkans where he served in Albania, and later in Croatia. He died of typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
in an army camp near Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
on 5 March 1945.
Selected bibliography
- Die Enstehung des Kreuzzugsgedanken, Forschungen zur Kirchen- und Geistesgeschichte 6 (Stuttgart, 1935). English trans.: The Origin of the Idea of Crusade, trans. M. W. Baldwin & Walter GoffartWalter GoffartWalter Andre Goffart is a historian of the later Roman Empire and the early Middle Ages who specializes in research on the barbarian kingdoms of those periods. He is a senior research scholar and lecturer at Yale University....
(Princeton, 1977). - "Das Wappen und die Fahne der römischen Kirche", Quellen und Forschungen aus italienischen Archiven und Bibliotheken 22 (1930-31), pp. 227-255.
- "Die Briefe Meinhards von Bamberg", Neues Archiv 49 (1931-32), pp. 332-431.
- "Die Anfänge der staatlichen Propaganda im Investiturstreit," Historische Zeitschrift 154 (1936), pp. 491-512.
- (editor) Die Briefe Heinrichs IV. MGH Deutsches Mittelaler 1 (1937).
- Studien zur Briefliteratur Deutschlands im XI. Jahrhundert, Schriften des Reichinstituts 1 (Leipzig, 1938)
- "Das ottonische Reich als Imperium Romanum", Deutsches Archiv 6 (1943), pp. 412-441.
Erdmann's posthumously-published work is collected in:
- Carl Erdmann: Forschungen zur politischen Ideenwelt des Frühmittelalters. Aus dem Nachlass des Verfassers, ed. Friedrich BaethgenFriedrich BaethgenFriedrich Jürgen Baethgen was a German historian who was born in Greifswald. He specialized in medieval studies and history of the papacy....
(Berlin, 1951).