Walther Zimmerli
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2013) |
Walther Zimmerli | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 January 1907 Graubünden, Switzerland |
| Died | 4 December 1983 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Zurich Humboldt University of Berlin University of Göttingen |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Theology Old Testament |
| Institutions | University of Göttingen |
| Doctoral students | Claus Westermann |
| Notable works | Ezechiel (Biblischer Kommentar Altes Testament) |
Walther Theodor Zimmerli (20 January 1907 – 4 December 1983) was a Swiss academic theologian in the
Life
After finishing secondary school in Schiers, Zimmerli studied theology at the universities of Zurich, Berlin and Göttingen. After passing his practical exams at the end of April 1930, he worked in the Theological Faculty at the University of Göttingen as the assistant to Professors Hemperl and Rahlfs and earned his Licentiate in Theology (lic. theol.) in 1932.
When the Nazi Party came to power in Germany, Zimerli returned to Switzerland and, in August 1933, became a pastor in
In 1964–65 he initiated and was president of the first of the
In 1940 Zimmerli founded the "Reformierte Theologenhaus" in Zurich and after 1945 further Reformed houses of study for students in all disciplines. In 1949, Claus Westermann earned his doctoral degree in Zurich under Zimmerli for his dissertation "Das Loben Gottes in den Psalmen" ("Praise of God in the Psalms").
Zimmerli was a highly regarded and well known representative of his discipline and was therefore invited to be a guest professor at Yale University, granted many honorary doctorates (from Göttingen, Zurich, Strasbourg and Edinburgh) and was the 1972 recipient of the Burkitt Medal of the British Academy.
In addition to his academic achievements, notable too was Zimmerli's unwavering opposition, from the very beginning, to
During his time as a student in Göttingen, Zimmerli married Irmgard von der Ropp, with whom he had six children. One of his sons is the philosopher Walther Christoph Zimmerli.
Work
The significance of Walther Zimmerli lies first and foremost in his academic work. He wrote fundamental commentaries on Genesis and Ecclesiastes, and one of his most important works is his two-volume commentary on Ezekiel in the series "Biblischer Kommentar zum Alten Testament" (translated into English for the Hermeneia commentary series). This commentary laid an entirely new foundation for understanding Book of Ezekiel. Zimmerli's scholarship is embodied in his Grundriß der alttestamentlichen Theologie (Old Testament Theology in Outline), which has appeared in numerous editions since its first publication.
References
Bibliography
- Festschriften
- Herbert Donner, ed., Beiträge zur alttestamentlichen Theologie: Festschrift für Walther Zimmerli zum 70. Geburtstag (Göttingen 1977)
- Lexicon articles
- Wolfdietrich von Kloeden (1998). "Walther Zimmerli". In Bautz, Traugott (ed.). Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL) (in German). Vol. 14. Herzberg: Bautz. cols. 478–486. ISBN 3-88309-073-5.
External links
- Thomas K. Kuhn: Walther Zimmerli in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| People | |
| Other | |
