Ludwig Häusser

Ludwig Häusser
File:Prof. Dr. phil. Ludwig Häusser.jpg Prof. Dr. phil. Ludwig Häusser
Born	26 October 1818 Kleeburg, Alsace
Died	19 March 1867 (1867-03-20) (aged 48) Heidelberg, Grand Duchy of Baden
Alma mater	Heidelberg University (PhD)
Spouse	∞ 1846 Eleonore Wilhelmine Rettig

Ludwig Häusser (1818-1867) was a German historian and politician. His greatest achievement, and the one on which his fame as an historian rests, is his Deutsche Geschichte vom Tode Friedrichs des Grossen bis zur Gründung des deutschen Bundes (Leipzig, 1854–1857, 4 vols). This was the first work covering that period based on a scientific study of the archival sources. As politician of the German Confederation and experiencing the brotherly rivalry of "German dualism" (Deutscher Dualismus), he supported a German unification excluding Austria.

Life

Ludwig Häusser's father, a Reformed pastor in Kleeburg in Alsace, died at the age of 33 in 1821. Ludwig's mother, Anna Maria Dorothea, née Paniel, then moved with her two-year-old son to her family in Mannheim. From 1826 Ludwig attended the Karl-Friedrich-Gymnasium in Mannheim. After graduating from high school, he studied classical philology at the Ruprecht-Karls University in Heidelberg from 1835 to 1839.

He was led by Prof. Dr. phil. Friedrich Christoph Schlosser to give up philology for history, and after continuing his historical work at Jena and teaching in the gymnasium at Wertheim he made his mark by his work: Die teutschen Geschichtsschreiber vom Anfang des Frankenreichs bis auf die Hohenstaufen (1839). Next year appeared his Sage von Tell. After a short period of study in Paris during the French Revolution, he spent some time working in the archives of Baden and Bavaria, and published in 1845 his masterpeice: Die Geschichte der rheinischen Pfalz, which won for him a professorship extraordinarius at Heidelberg.

In 1850, he became professor ordinarius. He also interested himself in politics while at Heidelberg, publishing in 1846 Schleswig-Holstein, Dlinemark and Deutschland, and editing with Gervinus the Deutsche Zeitung.

In 1848, he had been elected to the lower legislative chamber of Baden, and in 1850 advocated the project of union with Prussia at the parliament held at Erfurt. Another timely work was his edition of Friedrich List's Gesammelte Schriften (1850), accompanied with a life of the author. His greatest achievement, and the one on which. his fame as an historian rests, is his Deutsche Geschichte vom Tode Friedrichs des Grossen bis zur Griindung des deutschen Bundes (Leipzig, 18 5418 57, 4 vols.). This was the first work covering that period based on a scientific study of the archival sources.

In 1859, he again took part in politics, resuming his place in the lower chamber, opposing in 1863 the project of Austria for the reform of the Confederation brought forward in the assembly of princes at Frankfort, in his book Die Reform des deutschen Bundestages, and becoming one of the leaders of the "little German" party (Kleindeutsche), which advocated the exclusion of Austria from Germany under Prussian leadership.

In addition to various essays (in his Gesammelte Schriften, Berlin, 1869-1870, 2 vols.), Hausser's lectures have been edited by W. Oncken in the Geschichte des Zeitalters der Reformation (1869, 2nd ed. 1880), and Geschichte der franzosischen Revolution (1869, 2nd ed. 1870). These lectures reveal all the charm of style and directness of presentation which made Hausser's work as a professor so vital.

Death

When Hausser died of a heart condition in 1867, the whole country took part, including Grand Duke Friedrich, who described Hausser as his actual teacher.

Family

Ludwig Häusser married Eleonore Wilhelmine Rettig (1823–1895) in 1846. They had four children (2 sons and 2 daughters). His mother lived in her son's household until her death in 1857.

Honours

• Honorary citizen of Heidelberg (1860)
• Court Councilor (Hofrat) of the Grand Duchy of Baden (1861)
• Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art (1861)
• Privy Council / Geheimer Rat (1865)

Writings (selection)

• Ueber die teutschen Geschichtsschreiber von Anfang des Frankenreichs bis auf die Hohenstaufen, 1839
• Die Sage vom Tell aufs neue kritisch untersucht, 1840
• Die Anfänge der klassischen Studien zu Heidelberg, 1844
• Geschichte der rheinischen Pfalz nach ihren politischen, kirchlichen und litterarischen Verhältnissen, 1845
• Schleswig-Holstein, Dänemark und Deutschland: Kurze darstellung ihres geschichtlichen Verhältnisses, 1846
• Friedrich Lists Leben – Aus seinem Nachlasse, 1850
• Denkwürdigkeiten zur Geschichte der Badischen Revolution, 1851
• Karl Freiherr von Stein: Eine Skizze, 1859 (PDF)
• Tagebuch Kaiser Karls VII. aus dem Jahre 1744, 1860
• Zur Beurtheilung Friedrichs des Großen, 1862

External links

• Häusser, Ludwig, NDB
• Häusser, Ludwig (1818-1867) 
• Häusser, Ludwig, Consortium of European Research Libraries (CERL)

Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedia Britannica 1911 Edition: Ludwig Hausser