Schlosser

Schlosser, FRIEDRICH CHRISTOPH, a German historian, born at Jever in Oldenburg, 17th November 1776, was educated at Göttingen, and, after spending many years as a private tutor and academic teacher, was (1819) called to Heidelberg as professor of History, and died there, September 23, 1861. His principal writings are Geschichte der bildstürmenden Kaiser (1812); Weltgeschichte (9 vols. 1817-24); Geschichte des 18 Jahrh. (1823; 5th ed. 8 vols. 1864-66; Eng. trans. 1843-52); Geschichte der Alten Welt und ihrer Cultur (1826-34); Weltgeschichte für das Deutsche Volk (18 vols. 1844-56; 4th ed. 19 vols. 1884-88); and Studien über Dante (1855). Schlosser's ideal of the historian's art was ethical: he wrote neither from the literary standpoint, nor yet from the critical, but from the moral. Yet he is not uncritical; for he exercised the critical intelligence of a widely-read historian with a stern love of truth. His books have had great influence with the middle classes of Germany. There are German Lives of him by Gervinus (1861), Weber (1876), Erdmannsdörffer (1876), and O. Lorenz (1878).