Ludwig Riess
Encyclopedia
Ludwig Riess was a German
-born historian
and educator, noted for his work in late 19th century Japan.
(present-day Wałcz, West Pomeranian Voivodeship
), as the youngest of five children in a German Jewish family. He was proficient in mathematics
and physics
as a child, and encouraged by his family to become an engineer
or architect
. However, he was more interested in world history, and chose to pursue an academic career over their wishes and studied at the University of Berlin
under the renowned historian, Leopold von Ranke
.
In 1884 Riess traveled to Great Britain
and Ireland
for the purpose of collecting materials for his doctoral dissertation "The vote of the British Parliament in the medieval ages", and received his doctorate at the age of 24. He returned to the British Isles
again in 1885 and 1886 to collect additional materials pertaining to German history and the Hanseatic League
.
Riess was recruited as a foreign advisor
by the Meiji government of the Empire of Japan
in 1887 to establish western methods of historiography
into the Japanese university curriculum. These methods included a reliance on primary source
s, an emphasis on narrative history
and a commitment to writing history from a neutral point of view, without moral judgements on past events. Riess was initially hired on a three year contract, which was renewed several times. He taught at Tokyo Imperial University, where he introduced Ranke's research methods of historical research, and introduced European archival materials, especially Dutch
sources preserved at The Hague
relevant to the study of Japanese history. Riess himself made a personal search for documents when he visited Europe
on leave in 1893, visiting The Hague, London
, and Rome
, and sending back handwritten copies and excerpts from Dutch manuscripts.
Riess lectured on a wide variety of topics, including Taiwan
history, modern European history, British Constitutional history, German history, the Franco-Prussian War
, the French Revolution
, William Adams
and the role of the Portuguese and Dutch merchants in the Edo period
. He was also a constant contributor of essays and reports to German
newspapers and magazines on topics or events in Japan.
In 1888, Riess married a Japanese
woman, Fuku Ōtsuka, the daughter of his cook, with whom he had one son and four daughters.
Riess was replaced as head of the history department of Tokyo Imperial University in 1901 by Genpachi Mitsukuri, and was given an annual pension of 500 yen. His contract was not renewed, as the Japanese government was cutting back on the number of o-yatoi gaikokujin
, as their salaries were much higher than those of native Japanese, and many Japanese who had trained overseas were now returning and looking for work. Riess returned to the German Empire
in 1902, and taught as an assistant professor at the University of Berlin.
In 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War
, there was tremendous interest in Germany about all things Japanese, and Riess was in constant demand for articles about Japan and Japanese people for the German newspapers. During this period he published an autobiography the "Allerlei aus Japan" about his 15 years experiences in Japan.
In 1926, Reiss visited Springfield, Ohio
in the United States
as an exchange teacher. Soon after arrival, he developed a fever, possibly due to allergic reaction after being stung by an insect, and died at the age of 67.
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...
-born historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and educator, noted for his work in late 19th century Japan.
Biography
Riess was born in Deutsch-Krone, PrussiaProvince of Prussia
The Province of Prussia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1829-1878 created out of the provinces of East Prussia and West Prussia....
(present-day Wałcz, West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship, , is a voivodeship in northwestern Poland. It borders on Pomeranian Voivodeship to the east, Greater Poland Voivodeship to the southeast, Lubusz Voivodeship to the south, the German federal-state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania to the west, and the Baltic Sea to the north...
), as the youngest of five children in a German Jewish family. He was proficient in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
as a child, and encouraged by his family to become an engineer
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
or architect
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
. However, he was more interested in world history, and chose to pursue an academic career over their wishes and studied at the University of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
under the renowned historian, Leopold von Ranke
Leopold von Ranke
Leopold von Ranke was a German historian, considered one of the founders of modern source-based history. Ranke set the standards for much of later historical writing, introducing such ideas as reliance on primary sources , an emphasis on narrative history and especially international politics .-...
.
In 1884 Riess traveled to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
for the purpose of collecting materials for his doctoral dissertation "The vote of the British Parliament in the medieval ages", and received his doctorate at the age of 24. He returned to the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
again in 1885 and 1886 to collect additional materials pertaining to German history and the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
.
Riess was recruited as a foreign advisor
O-yatoi gaikokujin
The Foreign government advisors in Meiji Japan, known in Japanese as oyatoi gaikokujin , were those foreign advisors hired by the Japanese government for their specialized knowledge to assist in the modernization of Japan at the end of the Bakufu and during the Meiji era. The term is sometimes...
by the Meiji government of the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
in 1887 to establish western methods of historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
into the Japanese university curriculum. These methods included a reliance on primary source
Primary source
Primary source is a term used in a number of disciplines to describe source material that is closest to the person, information, period, or idea being studied....
s, an emphasis on narrative history
Narrative history
Narrative history is the practice of writing history in a story-based form. It can be divided into two subgenres: the traditional narrative and the modern narrative....
and a commitment to writing history from a neutral point of view, without moral judgements on past events. Riess was initially hired on a three year contract, which was renewed several times. He taught at Tokyo Imperial University, where he introduced Ranke's research methods of historical research, and introduced European archival materials, especially Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
sources preserved at The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
relevant to the study of Japanese history. Riess himself made a personal search for documents when he visited Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on leave in 1893, visiting The Hague, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and sending back handwritten copies and excerpts from Dutch manuscripts.
Riess lectured on a wide variety of topics, including Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
history, modern European history, British Constitutional history, German history, the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, William Adams
William Adams (sailor)
William Adams , also known in Japanese as Anjin-sama and Miura Anjin , was an English navigator who travelled to Japan and is believed to be the first Englishman ever to reach that country...
and the role of the Portuguese and Dutch merchants in the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. He was also a constant contributor of essays and reports to German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
newspapers and magazines on topics or events in Japan.
In 1888, Riess married a Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
woman, Fuku Ōtsuka, the daughter of his cook, with whom he had one son and four daughters.
Riess was replaced as head of the history department of Tokyo Imperial University in 1901 by Genpachi Mitsukuri, and was given an annual pension of 500 yen. His contract was not renewed, as the Japanese government was cutting back on the number of o-yatoi gaikokujin
O-yatoi gaikokujin
The Foreign government advisors in Meiji Japan, known in Japanese as oyatoi gaikokujin , were those foreign advisors hired by the Japanese government for their specialized knowledge to assist in the modernization of Japan at the end of the Bakufu and during the Meiji era. The term is sometimes...
, as their salaries were much higher than those of native Japanese, and many Japanese who had trained overseas were now returning and looking for work. Riess returned to the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in 1902, and taught as an assistant professor at the University of Berlin.
In 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, there was tremendous interest in Germany about all things Japanese, and Riess was in constant demand for articles about Japan and Japanese people for the German newspapers. During this period he published an autobiography the "Allerlei aus Japan" about his 15 years experiences in Japan.
In 1926, Reiss visited Springfield, Ohio
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as an exchange teacher. Soon after arrival, he developed a fever, possibly due to allergic reaction after being stung by an insect, and died at the age of 67.
Literary works
- Geschichte des Wahlrechts zum englischen Parliament, 1885
- Lectures in English constitutional history, 1891
- Geschichte der Insel Formosa, 1897
- Allerei aus Japan, 2 Vols., 1904-1908
- Historik, 1912
- Die Entwicklung des modernen Japans, 1914
- Englische Geschichte, hauptsächlich in neuester Zeit, 1926
- Die Ursachen der Vertreibung der Portugiesen aus Japan, 1614-1639
External links
- Ludwig Riess at www.lib.u-tokyo.ac.jp (Japanese)
- University of Alberta on Historiography (PDF)
- Unforgettable people of Japan