B
arthold Georg Niebuhr
born on August 27, 1776 in Copenhagen, Denmark
died on January 2, 1831 in Bonn, Germany
Niebuhr was an important German ancient historian.
Reference to the Goldener Adler
In August 1816, the highly distinguished researcher Barthold Niebuhr stopped at the Goldener Adler.
E
xcursion tip
Appropriate to the old historian Niebuhr we have today a special excursion tip for you! Make your way to South Tyrol, close to Merano, about 2 hours away, to the church of St. Proculus in Naturns.
This small church holds a real art treasure, the frescoes from the late 8th century with the famous “Schaukler” are among the most important mural paintings in Central Europe, the church itself was built around 630 to 650 after Christ.
The Proculus Museum across the street takes visitors through Late Antiquity, Middle Ages and the 30 Years War. The museum holds, among other things, the removed Gothic frescoes and many finds from the church.
You can also also take a detour to Merano, follow in the footsteps of our empress Empress Sissi, who was a regular visitor here, and visit the gardens of Trauttmannsdorff Castle.
Life and facts
Niebuhr is the son of Carsten Niebuhr, famous for his journeys to the Orient.
He studied at the University of Kiel for a few semesters but broke off his studies and worked in the Danish civil service; in 1801 he turned down the offer of a professorship in Kiel – the unusual thing about this was not so much his young age as the fact that he had not earned a degree.
Niebuhr then entered the service of the Prussian state in Berlin in 1806 (until 1810), lectured in history at the newly founded University of Berlin from 1810, was Prussian envoy to the Holy See from 1816-1823, and professor in Bonn from 1825.
Niebuhr had already been noticed as a child for his phenomenal talent for languages – he learned various oriental languages in self-study – and was a co-founder of philological-critical historical science.
In any case, Niebuhr is to be thanked for the fact that historical science rose from the role of a minor subject of philosophy, philology, jurisprudence, and political science to an independent scientific discipline and thus to an independent academic subject of study.
The fact that he could not decide throughout his life whether he wanted to be first and foremost a politician or a scientist was in keeping with his difficult and vain character, which made him few friends, but does not diminish his importance for subsequent historians.
Sources
Schiffner. Der „Goldene Adler“. S. 14. 4454
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barthold_Georg_Niebuhr
Website Stand 22.07.2021 10:35
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Prokulus_(Naturns)
Website Stand 22.07.2021 10:44
Willkommen in der Prokuluskirche – und Museum (merano-suedtirol.it)
Website Stand 22.07.2021 11:00
