May, Karl Hermann

Protestant clergyman, historian

Born: 28.11.1903 in Weilburg

Died: 25.09.1990 in Wiesbaden

May studied Protestant theology in Tübingen, Giessen, Berlin and Marburg. He completed his subsequent studies in history and philosophy with a doctorate. His dissertation "Territorialgeschichte des Oberlahnkreises (Weilburg)" (1939) is his main work and remains a landmark to this day. After attending the theological seminary in Herborn and completing his vicarage (1929), he began his professional career as an assistant preacher in Griesheim in 1930. In the same year, he was able to move to the pastorate in Kemel, which he held until 1956, before moving to Bad Schwalbach, where he became dean in 1959. He retired in 1968 and then lived in Wiesbaden.

May had been interested in regional history since his school days. In 1927, he joined the Nassauische Altertumskunde und Geschichtsforschung association, was a co-founder of the Weilburg local group and a member of the association's board from 1968-78. In 1933, he was appointed to the Historical Commission for Nassau. May was also a member of the Historical Commission for Hesse. From 1951-56 he was chairman of the Hessian Church History Association.

His contributions to journals and commemorative publications on the older history of the Nassau region, its counts and dynasties, his studies on the older genealogy of the Nassau nobility and his local history and biographical works are numerous. His essay on the destruction of the city of Wiesbaden in 1242 in the Nassauische Annalen (NA, 1967) is a highlight of his research work. A bibliography of his work can be found in the Nassauische Annalen of 1984. May was buried in the cemetery in Sonnenberg.