Freyer, Hans

Sociologist, cultural philosopher

Born: 31.07.1887 in Leipzig

Died: 18.01.1969 in Ebersteinburg (near Baden-Baden)

After completing his studies, doctorate and habilitation in Leipzig, Freyer was appointed professor of philosophy at the University of Kiel in 1922. In 1925, he took over the first chair of sociology in Germany in Leipzig. During the Nazi era, he became a professor at the Institute for Cultural and Universal History, succeeding the abolished Chair of Sociology.

From 1935, he was also director of the German Cultural Institute in Budapest and taught as a visiting professor of German cultural history at the university there from 1938. After the end of the war, Freyer resumed his teaching activities in Leipzig, but had to give them up in 1948 due to his clear proximity to National Socialism. He settled in Wiesbaden as an employee of the Brockhaus publishing house. In 1953-55, he taught at the University of Münster, where he was also awarded emeritus status. In 1954 and after his retirement, he was a visiting professor in Ankara on several occasions and helped to set up a sociological institute.

Freyer stood in the tradition of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and described Wilhelm Heinrich von Riehl and Wilhelm Dilthey from Biebrich as his intellectual fathers.

Even after the Second World War, Freyer did not abandon his controversial conservative stance in his analyses of the times that were critical of civilization. His works "Theorie des gegenwärtigen Zeitalters", "Schwelle der Zeiten" and "Weltgeschichte Europas" in particular - for the latter he received the Wiesbaden Culture Prize and the Federal Cross of Merit for his complete works - attracted a great deal of attention and stimulated lasting discussions.