Siegfried Frederick Nadel
Encyclopedia
Siegfried Frederick Nadel (24 April 1903–14 January 1956), known as Fred Nadel, was an Austria
n-born British
anthropologist
, specialising in Africa
n ethnology
.
, studying at the Musik Akademie and the Musikhistorisches Institut in Vienna, but also developed interests in philosophy
and psychology
. He went on to study the latter with Karl Bühler at the Psychologisches Institut at the University of Vienna
, and the former with Moritz Schlick
. On 11 November 1925 graduated with a doctorate, his thesis being "Zur Psychologie des Konsonanzerlebens".
His career was at first in music; he published books on musical typology (1930) and the Italian
composer
Ferruccio Benvenuto Busoni, and spent a short time as Assistant Conductor at the Düsseldorf Opera House in 1925.
After studying the musicology of primitive peoples at the Phonogrammarchiv in Berlin, and African languages
at the University of Berlin, in 1932 Nadel was awarded a Rockefeller Fellowship
, allowing him to do post-graduate training in anthropological African field research. Nadel studied at the London School of Economics
, supervised by Bronisław Malinowski. He began his fieldwork in Nigeria
in 1933, which gained him a Ph.D.
in anthropology from the LSE.
Nadel enlisted in the Sudan Defence Force
in 1941, transferring later that year to the British Army
; he was appointed Secretary of Native Affairs as well as the Deputy Chief Secretary, and held these positions till his discharge in 1944.
Nadel was elected to the first chair of anthropology at the Australian National University
in 1950. He spent much time lecturing around the world on his experiences of war, and on his field research in Nigeria and Sudan
. He died in Canberra
.
The life and work of Nadel is commmemorated in the Nadel Essay Prize
.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n-born British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
anthropologist
Social anthropology
Social Anthropology is one of the four or five branches of anthropology that studies how contemporary human beings behave in social groups. Practitioners of social anthropology investigate, often through long-term, intensive field studies , the social organization of a particular person: customs,...
, specialising in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n ethnology
Ethnology
Ethnology is the branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the origins, distribution, technology, religion, language, and social structure of the ethnic, racial, and/or national divisions of humanity.-Scientific discipline:Compared to ethnography, the study of single groups through direct...
.
Biography
Nadel was born in Lemberg, Galizia, the son of a lawyer. He started his education in musicMusic
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, studying at the Musik Akademie and the Musikhistorisches Institut in Vienna, but also developed interests in philosophy
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...
and psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. He went on to study the latter with Karl Bühler at the Psychologisches Institut at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, and the former with Moritz Schlick
Moritz Schlick
Friedrich Albert Moritz Schlick was a German philosopher, physicist and the founding father of logical positivism and the Vienna Circle.-Early life and works:...
. On 11 November 1925 graduated with a doctorate, his thesis being "Zur Psychologie des Konsonanzerlebens".
His career was at first in music; he published books on musical typology (1930) and the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Ferruccio Benvenuto Busoni, and spent a short time as Assistant Conductor at the Düsseldorf Opera House in 1925.
After studying the musicology of primitive peoples at the Phonogrammarchiv in Berlin, and African languages
African languages
There are over 2100 and by some counts over 3000 languages spoken natively in Africa in several major language families:*Afro-Asiatic spread throughout the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and parts of the Sahel...
at the University of Berlin, in 1932 Nadel was awarded a Rockefeller Fellowship
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, allowing him to do post-graduate training in anthropological African field research. Nadel studied at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, supervised by Bronisław Malinowski. He began his fieldwork in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
in 1933, which gained him a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in anthropology from the LSE.
Nadel enlisted in the Sudan Defence Force
Sudan Defence Force
The Sudan Defence Force was a Sudanese military unit formed in 1925, as its name indicates, to maintain the borders of the Sudan under the British administration...
in 1941, transferring later that year to the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
; he was appointed Secretary of Native Affairs as well as the Deputy Chief Secretary, and held these positions till his discharge in 1944.
Nadel was elected to the first chair of anthropology at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
in 1950. He spent much time lecturing around the world on his experiences of war, and on his field research in Nigeria and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. He died in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
.
The life and work of Nadel is commmemorated in the Nadel Essay Prize
Nadel Essay Prize
The Nadel Essay Prize is an award in the field of anthropology presented by the Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology for excellence in anthropological research, as exhibited in an essay published by the journal. The Prize commemorates the life and work of anthropologist Siegfried Frederick Nadel,...
.
Sources and external links
- Obituary by Raymond FirthRaymond FirthSir Raymond William Firth, CNZM, FBA, was an ethnologist from New Zealand. As a result of Firth's ethnographic work, actual behaviour of societies is separated from the idealized rules of behaviour within the particular society...
(PDF file) - Catalogue of the Nadel papers at the Archives Division of the London School of EconomicsLondon School of EconomicsThe London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.