Herwig Wolfram (born 14 February 1934) is an Austrian historian who is Professor Emeritus of Medieval History and Auxiliary Sciences of History at the University of Vienna and the former Director of the . He is a leading member of the Vienna School of History, and internationally known for his authoritative works on the history of Austria, the Goths, and relationships between the Germanic peoples and the Roman Empire.
Biography
Herwig Wolfram was born in
Vienna, Austria on 14 February 1934. He studied history and
Latin at the University of Vienna since 1952, gaining a Ph.D. there in 1957. He subsequently served as University Assistant at the Institute of History at the University of Vienna (1959–1961) and the (1962–1969). Wolfram gained his
habilitation at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Vienna in 1966.
Wolfram was Visiting Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1968 to 1969, and has subsequently made many visits to the United States. Since 1969, Wolfram was Professor of Medieval History and Auxiliary Sciences of History at the University of Vienna. From 1983 to 2002, Wolfram was also Director of the Institute of Austrian Historical Research. He was since retired from the University of Vienna as professor emeritus.
Research
Wolfram is a leading figure in the Vienna School of History.
[. "Herwig Wolfram, whose writings and teaching in Vienna have dominated Gothic history since the 1970s..."] His book
History of the Goths (1979) has been translated into a number of languages and been published in several completely revised editions. It is considered the standard work on the
Goths, and a work of large importance to the study of
Germanic peoples in general.
[. "It has established itself since its publication in 1979 as the standard survey..."][. "This is a major work... among the most significant recent contributions to the history of the early Middle Ages... The weight of Wolfram's scholarship makes it mandatory to consult this brilliant study for virtually any matter of Gothic or Gotho-Roman history."][. "By now Wolfram's History of the Goths requires no explanation or comment. It has already established itself as a classic... Wolfram has however absorbed, perhaps too uncritically, the controversial thesis of Walter Goffart..."][. "This detailed history of the Goths establishes itself as the definitive treatment of the subject..."] In the more recent editions of this work, Wolfram has adopted some of the controversial theories of
Walter Goffart.
[. "One major change between the second German edition and this translation is W.'s adoption... after previous resistance... of W. Goffart's theories concerning the economic integration of 'barbarians' into the Roman Empire. This is a controversial question, and in coming down heavily on one side of the debate without further argument, W. leaves himself open to criticism from the wide group of scholars who remain unconvinced.] Wolfram and Heather's books on the Goths are considered the foremost studies on the subject.
[. "The best modern general history in English is Peter Heather’s The Goths... The standard German text is Herwig Wolfram’s Die Goten..."]
Honours and awards
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Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
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Corresponding member of Monumenta Historica
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Corresponding member of the Medieval Academy of America
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Austrian Medal for Science and Art (2000)
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Cardinal Innitzer Prize (2011)
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Corresponding member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (2015)
Select bibliography
Works in English translation. For a complete list see the
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> German National Library
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History of the Goths, University of California Press, 1990.
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The Roman Empire and Its Germanic Peoples, University of California Press, 1997.
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Conrad II, 990-1039: Emperor of Three Kingdoms, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006.
Sources
Online
External links
