The Cultural Historian Karl Lamprecht: Practitioner and Progenitor of Art History
Kathryn Brush
Karl Lamprecht (1856–1915), the most prominent cultural historian in late-nineteenth-century Germany, has not figured annals of art history. Remembered principally as author Deutsche Geschichte (1891–1909) and three-volume Deutsches Wirtschaftsleben im Mittelalter (1885–86), his scholarly writings have been studied exclusively by historians. In own day, however, made considerable forays into history while constructing theoretical scaffolding for historical program. He undertook these studies during 1880s—remarkably, very years which was first being shaped a discipline at German universities. Though scholars long acknowledged component Kulturgeschichte , they considered that Lamprecht's endeavors may affected professional development Art historians, on other hand, forgotten work, associating second half nineteenth century almost with towering figure Jacob Burckhardt (1818–97). Yet close study publications related archival materials suggests vision, 1880s, an interactive dynamics between culture had formative impact comparable to older contemporary Burckhardt. certain respects it more directly relevant history's later development.
Central European History