Wilhelm von Humboldt
Wilhelm von Humboldt was a notable German statesman, philologist, and educational reformer, born on June 22, 1767, in Potsdam, Prussia. After losing his father at a young age, he was raised by his mother alongside his brother, Alexander. Humboldt was educated at the University of Jena, where he formed a significant friendship with the dramatist Friedrich Schiller. His career in government began with various ministerial roles, culminating in his position as Prussian minister of education from 1809 to 1810, during which he implemented essential reforms to the Prussian school system inspired by Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. Humboldt’s initiatives helped elevate educational standards in Prussia, establishing it as a leader in educational reform, and he founded the university that now bears his name, Humboldt University.
In addition to his work in education, Humboldt made significant contributions to linguistics, studying the Basque language and exploring the relationship between language and culture. He published several works, including a study on the metaphysics of language and a fragmentary treatise on the ancient language of Java, which was recognized for its clarity and precision. Humboldt's ideas have had a lasting impact on the field of ethnolinguistics. He passed away on April 8, 1835, in Tegel, near Berlin, leaving behind a legacy of intellectual and educational advancement.
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Wilhelm von Humboldt
Linguist
- Born: June 22, 1767
- Birthplace: Potsdam, Prussia (now in Germany)
- Died: April 8, 1835
- Place of death: Tegel, Germany
Biography
German statesman, philologist, and educational reformer Wilhelm von Humboldt was born in Potsdam, Prussia (now Germany), on June 22, 1767. He and his younger brother, Alexander, were raised by their mother after their father’s death in 1779. Wilhelm attended the University of Jena and became friends with dramatist Friedrich Schiller. Their correspondence was published in 1830.
Humboldt worked in various Prussian ministerial posts from 1801 to 1808. From 1809 to 1810, he served as the Prussian minister of education, and during this time he reformed the Prussian school system based on the ideas of Swiss educational reformer Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. He helped raise certification standards for teachers, and under his guidance, Prussia became a vanguard of educational progress. He was the founder of Friedrich Wilhelm University, now known as Humboldt University. Humboldt remained prominent in government as a major liberal reformer until 1819, when he retired because of his opposition to the prevailing reactionary political climate.
Humboldt studied the Basque language and the early inhabitants of Spain, and in 1828 he published Über den Dualis (on the dual), a study of the metaphysics of language. He never completed his greatest achievement, a treatise on Kavi, the ancient language of Java. This fragmentary work, edited by his brother and published posthumously, was recognized for its clarity and precision. In it, he expressed his thoughts on the interrelationship of language and culture, and these ideas have contributed greatly to the modern field of ethnolinguistics. Humboldt died on April 8, 1835, in Tegel, near Berlin.