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Humboldt’s University : The History and Topicality of a German Tradition

Östling, Johan LU orcid (2020) In Higher Education Dynamics p.63-80
Abstract
This chapter discusses the history of the modern German university and the topicality of Wilhelm von Humboldt’s ideas. A key issue is how the Humboldtian tradition, with its origin in Prussia around the year 1800, was transformed and has informed debates about research, higher education and academic freedom ever since. Drawing on recent scholarship, this chapter investigates the ways in which Humboldt’s ideas have been appropriated for various purposes in different historical contexts and epochs: in the emergence of the research university in the German Empire in the late nineteenth century; in the period of reconstruction in the aftermath of the Second World War; in the rise of the mass university in the Federal Republic of the 1960s; and... (More)
This chapter discusses the history of the modern German university and the topicality of Wilhelm von Humboldt’s ideas. A key issue is how the Humboldtian tradition, with its origin in Prussia around the year 1800, was transformed and has informed debates about research, higher education and academic freedom ever since. Drawing on recent scholarship, this chapter investigates the ways in which Humboldt’s ideas have been appropriated for various purposes in different historical contexts and epochs: in the emergence of the research university in the German Empire in the late nineteenth century; in the period of reconstruction in the aftermath of the Second World War; in the rise of the mass university in the Federal Republic of the 1960s; and in the discussions about the Bologna Process in the early 2000s. The principal conclusion is that Humboldtian ideals have not been static nor could they be as historical circumstances are always in flux. Nevertheless, many of the key concepts and fundamental ideas that we term Humboldtianism have not actually changed but have been interpreted differently. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Missions of Universities : Past, Present, Future - Past, Present, Future
series title
Higher Education Dynamics
editor
Engwall, Lars
pages
63 - 80
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85103959695
ISSN
1571-0378
ISBN
978-3-030-41834-2
978-3-030-41833-5
DOI
10.1007/978-3-030-41834-2_5
project
Humanities in motion: Circulation of knowledge in postwar Sweden and West Germany
Lund Centre for the History of Knowledge
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
905435d6-18ec-4e62-bdd4-92af73312018
date added to LUP
2019-05-27 08:43:20
date last changed
2024-04-02 07:13:45
@inbook{905435d6-18ec-4e62-bdd4-92af73312018,
  abstract     = {{This chapter discusses the history of the modern German university and the topicality of Wilhelm von Humboldt’s ideas. A key issue is how the Humboldtian tradition, with its origin in Prussia around the year 1800, was transformed and has informed debates about research, higher education and academic freedom ever since. Drawing on recent scholarship, this chapter investigates the ways in which Humboldt’s ideas have been appropriated for various purposes in different historical contexts and epochs: in the emergence of the research university in the German Empire in the late nineteenth century; in the period of reconstruction in the aftermath of the Second World War; in the rise of the mass university in the Federal Republic of the 1960s; and in the discussions about the Bologna Process in the early 2000s. The principal conclusion is that Humboldtian ideals have not been static nor could they be as historical circumstances are always in flux. Nevertheless, many of the key concepts and fundamental ideas that we term Humboldtianism have not actually changed but have been interpreted differently.}},
  author       = {{Östling, Johan}},
  booktitle    = {{Missions of Universities : Past, Present, Future}},
  editor       = {{Engwall, Lars}},
  isbn         = {{978-3-030-41834-2}},
  issn         = {{1571-0378}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  pages        = {{63--80}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Higher Education Dynamics}},
  title        = {{Humboldt’s University : The History and Topicality of a German Tradition}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41834-2_5}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/978-3-030-41834-2_5}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}