Friedrich Christoph Schlosser

Friedrich Christoph Schlosser (17 November 1776 – 23 September 1861) was a German historian.

He was born at Jever in the District of Friesland. He studied theology, mainly at Göttingen, and then tutored privately. Turning to the study of history, he tended to construct his syntheses upon the scanty basis of 18th century generalizations; in spite of the growing scientific school he became and remained for a quarter of a century the most popular German historian. In 1807, inspired by his study of Dante, he published his first work Abélard und Dulcin, a defence of scholasticism and medieval thought. Two years later biographical studies of Theodore Beza and Peter Martyr Vermili (Leben des Theodor de Bela und des Peter Martyr Vermili, Heidelberg, 1809) revealed more genuine scholarship. In 1812 appeared his History of the Iconoclastic Emperors of the East (Geschichte der bilderstürmenden Kaiser des oströmischen Reichs), in which he contradicted some points in Edward Gibbon's work and sought to avoid painting the past in present-day colours. His own strong predispositions prevented him from accomplishing this, however, and the history remains open to grave scientific criticism. It won him the favour of Archbishop Karl Theodor Dalberg and secured him a professorship in the Frankfurt Lyceum. He left Frankfurt in 1819 to become professor of history at Heidelberg where he resided until his death.

In 1815 appeared the first volume of his World History (Weltgeschichte in zusammenhängender Erzählung). This work, though never completed, extended through many volumes, bespeaking an inexhaustible energy and a vast erudition. But it lacks both accuracy of fact and charm of style, and is today deservedly quite forgotten. On the other hand a translation of the pedagogical handbook of Vincent of Beauvais and the accompanying monograph are still of value.

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