Wilhelm Scherer
Wilhelm Scherer was an influential Austrian philologist and literary historian, born in 1841 in Schönborn, Austria. Orphaned early, Scherer eventually moved to Vienna, where he pursued classical studies and later earned his doctorate at the University of Vienna. His academic journey was significantly shaped by his mentor, Karl Müllenhoff, under whom he developed a keen interest in Old and Middle High German literature. Together, they coedited an important anthology of German poetry and prose, which marked the beginning of Scherer's impactful contributions to the field.
Scherer's seminal works include "Zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache," which ignited discussions about the German language, and "Geschichte der deutschen Literatur," a comprehensive history of German literature that reflected his shift from linguistics to literary history. He held professorships at various prestigious universities, including Vienna, Strasbourg, and Berlin, where he was admired for his teaching and support of students. In addition to his academic achievements, Scherer played an active role in literary organizations and initiatives, such as the Goethe Society. His career was tragically cut short by strokes in 1885, leading to his untimely death. Scherer’s legacy endures through his scholarship, which continues to influence the study of German language and literature today.
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Wilhelm Scherer
Writer
- Born: April 26, 1841
- Birthplace: Schönborn, Austria
- Died: August 6, 1886
- Place of death: Strasbourg, Germany (now in France)
Biography
Wilhelm Scherer was born in 1841 in Schönborn, Austria, the son of Wilhelm Scherer, an administrator for the count of Schönborn, and Anna (Rieck) Scherer. Scherer’s father died when he was four years old, and his mother then married A. Stadler, an economist and a friend of her late husband. Scherer lived in several places during childhood before the family moved to Vienna, where he enrolled at Akademische Gymnasium, a school focusing on classical Greek and Latin, in 1854. Four years later, Scherer enrolled at the University of Vienna, leaving after four semesters to study under Karl Müllenhoff at the University of Berlin. Müllenhoff was an important mentor to Scherer, sparking his interest in Old and Middle High German texts. With Müllenhoff, Scherer coedited Denkmäler deutscher Poesie und Prosa aus dem VIII-XII Jahrhundert (1864), an anthology of German poetry and prose from the eighth to the twelfth centuries.
After studying in Berlin, Scherer returned to the University of Vienna, earning his Ph.D. in 1862, and his doctorate Habilitation degree, required to lecture at the university level, in 1864; the focus of both his doctorate theses was Denkmäler deutscher Poesie und Prosa. In 1865, he published a biography of philologist Jacob Grimm, and in 1868, he became Ordinarius, or full professor, at Vienna and published one of his two seminal works: Zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache, a history of the German language. The book sparked fervent discussion of, and attention, to the German language and a second edition was printed in 1878.
Scherer took on a professorial position at the University of Strasbourg in 1872 and stayed there until he accepted his second invitation to join the faculty of the University of Berlin in 1877. He was a popular and supportive professor at the various institutions where he was employed. After he moved to Berlin, he married Maria Leeder, with whom he would have two children. He also became engrossed in the study of modern literature, particularly in the works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. He moved away from his previous focus on language and linguistics to concentrate on literary history, and in 1883 he published another famed work: Geschichte der deutschen Literatur, translated as A History of German Literature in 1886.
Scherer was admitted to the Preu�ische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Prussian Academy of Science) in 1884. By that time, his mentor and friend, Müllenhoff, was near death and asked Scherer to complete Deutsche Alterthumskunde, a book Müllenhoff was writing about German archaeology. However, Scherer himself did not live long enough to complete the task. When the Goethe Society was founded in Weimar in June, 1885, Scherer became its first vice president; subsequently, Grand Duchess Sophie of Saxony asked him to supervise the preparation of a 143-volume collection of Goethe’s works. Stricken by a stroke in the fall of 1885, Scherer recuperated during the next semester and returned to his full teaching schedule in the summer of 1886; however, a second stroke in August of that year took his life.