Otto Höfler’s Characterisation of the Germanic Peoples

From Sacred Men’s Bands to Social Daemonism
1. Auflage 2023
ISBN: 978-3-11-103238-2
Verlag: De Gruyter

Buch, Englisch, Band 140, 370 Seiten, Format (B × H): 170 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 757 g

Reihe: Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde

Otto Höfler (1901–1987) was an Austrian Germanist and Scandinavist. His research on ‘Germanic culture’, in particular on Germanic Männerbünde (men’s bands), was controversial and remains a topic of academic debate. In modern discourse, Höfler’s theories are often fundamentally rejected on account of his involvement in the National Socialist movement and his contribution to the research initiatives of the SS Ahnenerbe, or they are adopted by scholars who ignore his problematic methodologies and the ideological and political elements of his work.The present study takes a comprehensive approach to Höfler’s research on ‘Germanic culture’ and analyses his characterisation of the ‘Germanic peoples’, contextualising his research in the backdrop of German philological studies of the early twentieth century and highlighting elements of his theories that are still the topic of modern academic discourse. A thorough analysis of his main research theses, focusing on his Männerbund-research, reveals that his concept of ‘Germanic culture’ is underscored by a belief in the deep-seated religiosity of the ‘Germanic peoples’ formed through sacred-daemonic forces.

Zielgruppe

Historians, scholars and students of German Literature, Scandinav

Autoren/Hrsg.

Burrell, Courtney Marie

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Europäische Geschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Wissenschafts- und Universitätsgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtswissenschaft Allgemein Historiographie
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Deutsche Geschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Skandinavische Literaturen
• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Sprachwissenschaften Semiotik

Über Autor(innen)

Courtney Marie Burrell, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München.

Courtney Marie Burrell, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.