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Max HerrmannGerman literary and theatre scholar
Date of Birth: 14.05.1865
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- Max Herrmann: German Literary and Theater Scholar
- Academic Career
- Major Works
- International Recognition
- Nazi Persecution and Death
Max Herrmann: German Literary and Theater Scholar
Max Herrmann was a renowned German literary and theater scholar. Born in 1854, he studied German philology and history at the universities of Freiburg, Göttingen, and Berlin.
Academic Career
Herrmann embarked on his academic career in 1891, teaching at the University of Berlin. In 1903, he was appointed professor. In 1923, he established the Institute of Theater Studies at the University of Berlin.
Major Works
Herrmann's seminal work, "Forschungen zur deutschen Theatergeschichte des Mittelalters und der Renaissance" (1914), revolutionized German theater studies by introducing a sociological perspective. He dedicated the latter part of his life to his unfinished magnum opus, "Die Entstehung der berufsmäßigen Schauspielkunst im Altertum und in der Neuzeit." Posthumously published in 1962, this work explored the development of professional theater throughout history.
International Recognition
Herrmann's scholarship garnered him international acclaim. In the 1920s, he was elected an honorary member of the Department of Theater History and Theory at the State Institute of Art History in Petrograd, alongside renowned Russian theater practitioners Vsevolod Meyerhold and Konstantin Stanislavski.
Nazi Persecution and Death
Tragically, Herrmann's life took a dark turn with the rise of the Nazis. Due to his Jewish heritage, he was forced to retire in 1933 and later deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Herrmann died in Theresienstadt on November 17, 1942, at the age of 88.
