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Alfred WeberGerman economist, sociologist and cultural theorist
Date of Birth: 30.07.1868
Country:  Germany |
Biography of Alfred Weber
Early Life and Education
Alfred Weber, a German economist, sociologist, and cultural theorist, was born on July 30, 1868, in Erfurt, a major city in Prussian Saxony. He grew up in Charlottenburg, a district in western Berlin. Alfred was one of seven children born to Max Weber Sr., a well-known national-liberal politician and civil servant, and Helene Fallenstein. The family's active involvement in public life transformed their home into a popular salon where prominent scholars and public figures of the time would gather and engage in discussions. This environment undoubtedly influenced Alfred's and his brother Max Weber's career choices. Max Weber is considered one of the founders of modern sociology and public administration.
Academic Career
After completing his secondary education, Alfred Weber enrolled at the University of Bonn in 1888, where he initially studied archaeology and art history. However, he transferred to the University of Tübingen the following year and switched his focus to jurisprudence. In 1892, Alfred completed his studies in Berlin, having passed the first state examination after returning from mandatory military service. In 1897, he obtained a doctoral degree in economics with his dissertation on domestic industry. In 1900, Alfred became an associate professor at the University of Berlin for his work on the same topic. Later, in 1904, he moved to the German Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague, where he had students such as Max Brod and Felix Weltsch. He also became the advisor to Franz Kafka during Kafka's dissertation on law. From 1907 to 1933, Weber held the position of professor of political economics at the University of Heidelberg, until he was dismissed for criticizing the Nazi regime.
Personal Life and Later Years
During his time in Heidelberg, Alfred Weber formed close connections with numerous notable figures in scientific, cultural, and intellectual circles. Among them were Marianne Weber, the wife of his brother Max Weber and a sociologist and feminist, as well as economists Eberhard Gothein and Emil Lederer, historian Karl Ludwig Hampe, and archaeologist Ludwig Curtius. He also had associations with philosopher Karl Jaspers, as well as young intellectuals Erich Fromm and Norbert Elias. In Heidelberg, Alfred began a relationship with Else von Richthofen, the wife of economist Edgar Jaffé, who was a former student of his brother Max Weber. Alfred and Else lived together for several years after her husband's death, although they never married.
At the outbreak of World War I, Alfred Weber volunteered for military service and later became one of the founding members of the German Democratic Party (DDP). He briefly served as its chairman before resigning and returning to academic pursuits in Heidelberg after the armistice. Despite being an outspoken opponent of National Socialism, Weber remained in Nazi Germany during World War II and became one of the leaders of the intellectual Resistance. Following the end of the war in 1945, his works and teaching aimed at supporting the philosophical and political restoration of the German nation had a significant impact both within and beyond academic circles. Alfred Weber was reinstated as a professor in 1945 and continued to teach until his death on May 2, 1958, at the age of 89, in Heidelberg.
