Lee M. Hollander
Lee M. Hollander | |
---|---|
Born | Baltimore, Maryland, US | November 8, 1880
Died | October 19, 1972 Austin, Texas, US | (aged 91)
Spouse |
Jean Wright Fisher (after 1912) |
Children | 3 |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Order of the Falcon |
Academic background | |
Alma mater | |
Thesis | Prefixal S in Germanic (1905) |
Doctoral advisor | Henry Wood |
Other advisors | |
Academic work | |
Discipline | |
Sub-discipline | Old Norse studies |
Institutions | |
Main interests |
Lee Milton Hollander (November 8, 1880 – October 19, 1972) was an American
Early life and education
Lee M. Hollander was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 8, 1880, the son of Samuel Hollander and Amelia Herstein. The family was Jewish.[1] His parents were both born in Baltimore to German-born parents, and the family maintained strong links to Germany. His grandfather had emigrated from Germany in 1848.[2] Samuel Hollander ran a furniture factory as a family business.[3]
Upon the death of Hollander's father in 1886, his mother decided to take Lee and his older brother Charles Samuel to Germany to live with their relatives in
Early career
Hollander made a long trip to Norway, Denmark and Sweden, where he learned the
While on his Scandinavian journey, Hollander visited many prominent scholars. He listened to Otto Jespersen and Moltke Moe, and attended the seminar of Sophus Bugge on the Edda at the University of Oslo. Through the efforts of outstanding scholars such as Magnus Olsen and Carl Marstrander, Oslo was at the time a pre-eminent center on Germanic philology. Hollander also spent his time liberally at the university libraries of Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen, devoting special time and attention to the Arnamagnæan Manuscript Collection.[2]
Returning to the United States in 1907, Hollander became an instructor of
Anti-German sentiment became rampant when the United States declared war against Germany in 1917, and Hollander lost his position as an instructor at Wisconsin as a result.[4][5] However, unlike most of his colleagues, many of whom were bilingual and suspected of double allegiance, he was not fired from Wisconsin altogether. The university librarian wanted someone to compile files of clippings about the war from major newspapers in England, Germany and the United States, and Hollander performed this task although he hated it.[3] During this time, he developed a strong interest in geology. He would eventually teach introductory courses on the subject, and worked up reports on parts of Wisconsin. Throughout the rest of his life Hollander collected rocks, geodes and mineral specimens.[4]
University of Texas at Austin
In 1920, when American anti-German sentiment had significantly cooled off,
In 1929, Hollander was promoted to Chairman of the Department of Germanic Languages at the University of Texas. In this capacity, he oversaw major growth of his department, while simultaneously carrying out pioneering research.
Combined with his duties at the University of Texas, Hollander published a number of influential works and translations, including The Poetic Edda (1928) and Old Norse Poems (1936). In his translations, he aimed at recreating the tone of the original in his very personal style and diction.
Upon reaching the age limit in 1941, Hollander retired from his administrative duties at the University of Texas. Five years later, he had to go on modified service, but was nevertheless as active as ever both as a teacher and as a researcher. He continued teaching and guiding students in Germanic studies, and published numerous influential translations and works on Old Norse studies. Works published by Hollander in these later years include The Skalds (1946), The Saga of the Jomsvikings (1955), A Bibliography of Skaldic Studies, and Heimskringla (1965).[11][8]
Hollander was in frequent correspondence with other international authorities on Germanic studies, including
In honor of the 85th birthday of Hollander, Polomé organized an international symposium on Old Norse literature and mythology, whose speakers included
Death and legacy
Hollander continued researching and teaching at the University of Texas towards the end of his life.[12] He retired from teaching 1968.[9] Víga-Glúm's Saga and The Story of Ögmund Dytt (1972) was his final work.[8] He died in Austin on October 19, 1972, and was buried beside his wife at Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Hollander was survived by a son and two daughters.[12]
Throughout his career he published more than 16 books and monographs, 22 translations, 88 articles, and 157 reviews. His most important legacies are his research on and translation of Old Norse literature, and the development of the Department of Germanic Languages at the University of Texas into one of the leading institutions in its field.[12]
Personal life
Hollander married Jean Wright Fisher (1880-1965) in June 1912.
Selected works
- Prefixal S in Germanic: Together with the Etymologies of Fratze, Schraube, Guter Dinge, J. H. Furst Co., 1905.
- (Translator) Selections from the Writings of Kierkegaard, University of Texas Press, 1923, Doubleday, 1960.
- (Editor) Das Edle Blut, by Ernst von Wildenbruch, Alfred A. Knopf, 1927.
- (Editor and translator) The Poetic Edda, University of Texas Press, 1928, 2nd edition, 1962.
- (Editor and translator) Old Norse Poems, Columbia University Press, 1936.
- (Editor and translator) The Skalds: A Selection of Their Poems, Princeton University Press, 1945.
- (Editor and translator) The Sagas of Kormak and The Sworn Brothers, Princeton University Press, 1949.
- (Editor and translator) The Njals Saga, New York University Press, 1955.
- (Translator and editor) The Saga of the Jomsvikings, University of Texas Press, 1955.
- A Bibliography of Skaldic Studies, E. Munksgaard, 1958.
- (Translator) The Eyrbyggja Saga, University of Nebraska Press, 1959.
- (Editor) Seven Eddic Lays, University of Texas Press, 1964.
- (Translator, editor and contributor) Heimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway, University of Texas Press, 1964.
- (Translator) Víga-Glúm's Saga and The Story of Ögmund Dytt, Twayne Publishers, 1972.
See also
References
- ^ Wendehorst 2006, pp. 83–84.
- ^ a b c d e Schulz-Berend et al. 1976, p. 1.
- ^ a b c d e Polomé 1969, pp. 291–293.
- ^ a b c Schulz-Berend et al. 1976, pp. 1–2.
- ^ a b c Contemporary Authors. August 1, 2001.
- ^ a b c Schulz-Berend et al. 1976, p. 2.
- ^ a b Schulz-Berend et al. 1976, p. 3.
- ^ a b c Barkley 2001.
- ^ a b c d Austin American. October 20, 1972. p. 6.
- ^ Polomé 1989, p. ii. "[T]he presence in the Department of Germanic Languages at the University of Texas at Austin of the Nestor of Scandinavian studies in the United States, Professor Lee M. Hollander, soon became an incentive to return to the papers lying dormant in a desk drawer..."
- ^ Schulz-Berend et al. 1976, pp. 2–3.
- ^ a b c d e f Schulz-Berend et al. 1976, pp. 3–4.
Sources
- Barkley, Roy A. (2001). "Hollander, Lee Milton". Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ISBN 0292783868.
- ISSN 0895-7258.
- Schulz-Berend, George; Lehmann, Winfred P.; Miller, David L.; Wilson, A. Leslie (1976). "In Memoriam: Lee M. Hollander" (PDF). University of Texas at Austin. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 9, 2003. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- "Professor Dies Here". Newspapers.com.
- Wendehorst, Stephan, ed. (2006). "Lee M. Hollander (1880-1972)". Bausteine einer jüdischen Geschichte der Universität Leipzig (in German). ISBN 3865831060.
- "Dr. Lee Hollander". Newspapers.com.
- "Lee M(ilton) Hollander". Contemporary Authors. Gale. August 1, 2001. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
Further reading
- ISBN 0292783868.
External links
- Lee M. Hollander at Find a Grave
- Works by Lee Milton Hollander at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Lee M. Hollander at Internet Archive
- Works by Lee M. Hollander at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)