Rudolf Schottlaender
Encyclopedia
Rudolf Schottlaender was a German
philosopher
, classical philologist
, translator
and political publicist of Jewish
descent.
, Martin Heidegger
and Nicolai Hartmann
in Freiburg im Breisgau
. There, he became acquainted with Günther Stern (the later author Günther Anders
) and married Stern's sister Hilde shortly afterwards (the first of three marriages). Schottlaender also studied with Karl Jaspers
. Despite his active interest for phenomenology as a student, Schottlaender referred more to the stoics
and to Baruch Spinoza
, in whose spirit he left Judaism in 1921.
During the Weimar Republic
, Schottlaender was a private scholar. With his translation of the first part of A la recherche du temps perdu
, which was published by "Die Schmiede" under the title of Der Weg zu Swann, he was the first German translator of Marcel Proust
. He survived the Nazi regime and the persecution of the Jews
, hiding in Berlin.
After 1945, he taught Latin and Greek as a secondary school teacher in West Berlin
. In between (1947-1949), he taught philosophy at the Dresden University of Technology
(Technische Hochschule Dresden), but as a pugnacious democrat
and humanist
, he came in conflict with the authorities of the Soviet occupation zone. As a result, he went back to West Berlin and worked as a secondary school teacher again. There, he became the victim of a slander campaign because of his efforts concerning overcoming the Cold War
and got into professional difficulties. In 1959, he was offered a chair as professor for Latin literature, with special consideration of the Greek. (He was unable to teach philosophy there because he was a non-Marxist
and because of his Dresden
experiences.) After the building of the Berlin Wall
in August 1961, he had to move from West Berlin to East Berlin with his family in order to continue this work. He was given emeritus status in 1965.
Besides numerous philological and philosophical works, Schottlaender published brilliant translations (new translations of Sophocles
which were very effective on the stage, the publication of an edition of Petrarch
, among others) and fundamental discussions of questions concerning Judaism and antisemitism. In his political essay
s and articles, which he predominantly published in the West, he saw himself as a mediator between the systems. Because of his positions critical to East Germany, he was put under close surveillance by the Ministry for State Security (Ministerium für Staatssicherheit or Stasi
). He inspired leading minds of the developing opposition in East Germany.
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...
philosopher
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, classical philologist
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
, translator
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
and political publicist of Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
descent.
Biography
Rudolf Schottlaender studied philosophy with Edmund HusserlEdmund Husserl
Edmund Gustav Albrecht Husserl was a philosopher and mathematician and the founder of the 20th century philosophical school of phenomenology. He broke with the positivist orientation of the science and philosophy of his day, yet he elaborated critiques of historicism and of psychologism in logic...
, Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher known for his existential and phenomenological explorations of the "question of Being."...
and Nicolai Hartmann
Nicolai Hartmann
-Biography:Hartmann was born of German descent in Riga, which was then the capital of the Russian province of Livonia, and which is now in Latvia. He studied Medicine at the University of Tartu , then Philosophy in St. Petersburg and at the University of Marburg in Germany, where he took his Ph.D....
in Freiburg im Breisgau
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
. There, he became acquainted with Günther Stern (the later author Günther Anders
Günther Anders
Günther Anders was a Jewish philosopher and journalist who developed a philosophical anthropology for the age of technology, focusing on such themes as the effects of mass media on our emotional and ethical existence, the nuclear threat, the Shoah and the question of being a philosopher.- Biography...
) and married Stern's sister Hilde shortly afterwards (the first of three marriages). Schottlaender also studied with Karl Jaspers
Karl Jaspers
Karl Theodor Jaspers was a German psychiatrist and philosopher who had a strong influence on modern theology, psychiatry and philosophy. After being trained in and practicing psychiatry, Jaspers turned to philosophical inquiry and attempted to discover an innovative philosophical system...
. Despite his active interest for phenomenology as a student, Schottlaender referred more to the stoics
Stoicism
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early . The Stoics taught that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection," would not suffer such emotions.Stoics were concerned...
and to Baruch Spinoza
Baruch Spinoza
Baruch de Spinoza and later Benedict de Spinoza was a Dutch Jewish philosopher. Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza's work was not fully realized until years after his death...
, in whose spirit he left Judaism in 1921.
During the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
, Schottlaender was a private scholar. With his translation of the first part of A la recherche du temps perdu
In Search of Lost Time
In Search of Lost Time or Remembrance of Things Past is a novel in seven volumes by Marcel Proust. His most prominent work, it is popularly known for its considerable length and the notion of involuntary memory, the most famous example being the "episode of the madeleine." The novel is widely...
, which was published by "Die Schmiede" under the title of Der Weg zu Swann, he was the first German translator of Marcel Proust
Marcel Proust
Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental À la recherche du temps perdu...
. He survived the Nazi regime and the persecution of the Jews
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
, hiding in Berlin.
After 1945, he taught Latin and Greek as a secondary school teacher in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
. In between (1947-1949), he taught philosophy at the Dresden University of Technology
Dresden University of Technology
The Technische Universität Dresden is the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, the largest university in Saxony and one of the 10 largest universities in Germany with 36,066 students...
(Technische Hochschule Dresden), but as a pugnacious democrat
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
, he came in conflict with the authorities of the Soviet occupation zone. As a result, he went back to West Berlin and worked as a secondary school teacher again. There, he became the victim of a slander campaign because of his efforts concerning overcoming the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and got into professional difficulties. In 1959, he was offered a chair as professor for Latin literature, with special consideration of the Greek. (He was unable to teach philosophy there because he was a non-Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
and because of his Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
experiences.) After the building of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
in August 1961, he had to move from West Berlin to East Berlin with his family in order to continue this work. He was given emeritus status in 1965.
Besides numerous philological and philosophical works, Schottlaender published brilliant translations (new translations of Sophocles
Sophocles
Sophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides...
which were very effective on the stage, the publication of an edition of Petrarch
Petrarch
Francesco Petrarca , known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar, poet and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism"...
, among others) and fundamental discussions of questions concerning Judaism and antisemitism. In his political essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s and articles, which he predominantly published in the West, he saw himself as a mediator between the systems. Because of his positions critical to East Germany, he was put under close surveillance by the Ministry for State Security (Ministerium für Staatssicherheit or Stasi
Stasi
The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security (German: Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), commonly known as the Stasi (abbreviation , literally State Security), was the official state security service of East Germany. The MfS was headquartered...
). He inspired leading minds of the developing opposition in East Germany.