Leo Weisgerber
Encyclopedia
Leo Weisgerber (February 25, 1899, Metz
- August 8, 1985, Bonn
) was a Lorraine
-born German
linguist
specializing in Celtic linguistics
. He developed the "organicist" theory that different languages produce different experiences. During World War II
his pan-Celticist
ideology was co-opted to support the German war effort.
at the Rostock University (1927-), Marburg University (1938-), Bonn University (1942-).
Starting from the study of translation problems, he contributed notably to the theory of sprachliche Zwischenwelt: that language structures our apprehension of reality. This was influenced by the structuralist
theories of Ferdinand de Saussure
. He was an editor of the journal Wörter und Sachen, which he used as a vehicle for his ideas.
Weisgerber took the view that each language community has its own perception of the world, different from that of other groups:
In this respect languages imply a "world view" that can produce sustained cultural differences.
(Radio Rennes of Brittany) which broadcast the first radio transmissions in the Breton language
. These ventures were perceived by the French Resistance
as German-sponsored propaganda organizations. After the defeat of the Nazis, Weisgerber assisted the members of the Breton Bezen Perrot
SS militia, led by Célestin Lainé
, providing them with false papers to allow them to escape to Ireland with the help of other Celticists.
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
- August 8, 1985, Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
) was a Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
-born German
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...
linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
specializing in Celtic linguistics
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
. He developed the "organicist" theory that different languages produce different experiences. During 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...
his pan-Celticist
Pan-Celticism
Pan-Celticism is the name given to various political and cultural movements and organisations that promote greater contact between the Celtic nations.-Types of Pan-Celticism:Pan-Celticism can operate on one or all of the following levels listed below:...
ideology was co-opted to support the German war effort.
Scholarly career
He taught as a professorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the Rostock University (1927-), Marburg University (1938-), Bonn University (1942-).
Starting from the study of translation problems, he contributed notably to the theory of sprachliche Zwischenwelt: that language structures our apprehension of reality. This was influenced by the structuralist
Structuralism
Structuralism originated in the structural linguistics of Ferdinand de Saussure and the subsequent Prague and Moscow schools of linguistics. Just as structural linguistics was facing serious challenges from the likes of Noam Chomsky and thus fading in importance in linguistics, structuralism...
theories of Ferdinand de Saussure
Ferdinand de Saussure
Ferdinand de Saussure was a Swiss linguist whose ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in linguistics in the 20th century. He is widely considered one of the fathers of 20th-century linguistics...
. He was an editor of the journal Wörter und Sachen, which he used as a vehicle for his ideas.
Weisgerber took the view that each language community has its own perception of the world, different from that of other groups:
- There are words or phrases that are specific to each language community.
- Some concepts can be shared by two (or more) linguistic communities, each, however, have a different connotation for each.
- Each language community structures reality in different ways, according to its own language codes.
In this respect languages imply a "world view" that can produce sustained cultural differences.
Pan-Celticism
Before World War II, Weisgerber established links with Celtic nationalists in Ireland, Britain and Brittany. The Breton nationalists joined Germany at the beginning of the war. After the Fall of France Weisgerber initiated the creation of the Breton Celtic Institute and directed the radio station Radio Rennes BretagneRadio Rennes Bretagne
Radio Rennes Bretagne was a radio station based in Rennes, and the first station to have regular Breton language programming. However, it was not powerful enough to broadcast to the Breton-speaking western parts of the peninsular...
(Radio Rennes of Brittany) which broadcast the first radio transmissions in the Breton language
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
. These ventures were perceived by the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
as German-sponsored propaganda organizations. After the defeat of the Nazis, Weisgerber assisted the members of the Breton Bezen Perrot
Bezen Perrot
The Bezen Perrot was a Breton collaborationist force during the Nazi occupation of France that grew from the earlier Lu Brezhon militia. Led by Célestin Lainé and Alan Heusaff, as many as 70 to 80 people joined the ranks of the Bezen Perrot, or "Perrot Unit", at one point or another...
SS militia, led by Célestin Lainé
Célestin Lainé
Célestin Lainé was a Breton nationalist and collaborator during the Second World War who led the SS affiliated Bezen Perrot militia. His Breton language name is Neven Hénaff. He was a chemical engineer by training. After the war he lived in Ireland.- Breton terrorism :He was born in 1908 in Nantes...
, providing them with false papers to allow them to escape to Ireland with the help of other Celticists.
Literary works
- Muttersprache und Geistesbildung, 1941
- Die Stellung der Sprache im Aufbau der Gesamtkultur, 2 vols., 1933-1944
- Die volkhaften Kräfte der Muttersprache, 1939
- Die Entdeckung der Muttersprache im europäischen Denken, 1948
- Von den Kräften der deutschen Sprache, 4 vols., 1949-1950