The publication of "Antaeus – Foundation of an Ethics of Conscious Life" in 1918 marked the entry of Hans Freyer into a professional academic career defined by the philosophy of life and the conservative revolutionary movement. Operating within the German intellectual landscape, he rose to prominence as a sociologist and philosopher whose career spanned the volatile transition from the Weimar Republic to the postwar era.
Academic Formation and Early Work
Born in Leipzig in 1887, Freyer began his formal education at the University of Greifswald in 1907. He initially pursued theology, history, and economics before shifting his focus toward philosophy at Leipzig University, where he earned his doctorate in 1911. His early writing, including the 1923 work "Prometheus – Ideas on the Philosophy of Culture," explored the philosophy of life and influenced the German youth movement. By 1922, he had secured a professorship at Kiel University.
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In 1925, Freyer returned to Leipzig University to establish a dedicated sociology department, which became the foundation for the Leipzig School. He characterized sociology as a "Science of Reality," arguing in his 1929 work that the discipline evolved from historical philosophy to explain societal change. In his 1926 book "Der Staat," he proposed a cyclical view of history consisting of belief, style, and state, advocating for a hierarchical, elitist social model where individual freedom was subordinated to a collective leadership state.
Political Alignment and War Years
During the rise of National Socialism in 1933, Freyer signed the Vow of Allegiance of the Professors of the German Universities and High-Schools to Adolf Hitler. He oversaw the removal of Ferdinand Tönnies from the German Society for Sociology that same year. From 1938 to 1944, he directed the German Institute for Culture in Budapest, contributing to völkisch historiography. His work "Pallas Athene. Ethics of the political people," published in 1935, articulated an anti-individualistic political ethic that centered on race, discipline, and the necessity of state-sanctioned violence.
Postwar Career and Legacy
Following the Second World War, Freyer left his position in Leipzig. In 1948, he joined the Brockhaus publishing company in Wiesbaden. Although he struggled to reclaim a permanent professorship, he lectured at the University of Münster from 1953 to 1955 and spent time at the University of Ankara. He published "The Theory of the Present Era" in the 1950s, which attempted to adapt conservative principles to an industrial society. He died in 1969 in Ebersteinburg and is buried in Sonnenberg.
Fast facts
- Born: 1887, Leipzig, Germany
- Died: 1969, Ebersteinburg, Germany
- Academic Degree: Doctorate
- Employers: Leipzig University, Bauhaus, Kiel University, University of Münster
- Religious Affiliation: Lutheranism
- Marital Status: Married to Käthe Lübeck
- Awards: Goethe-Plakette des Landes Hessen (1967)
- Memberships: Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Questions readers ask
What was the Leipzig School?
The Leipzig School was a branch of sociology founded by Freyer in 1925 that focused on a strongly historical basis for sociological analysis.
What were Freyer's primary political views during the 1930s?
Freyer was a supporter of the National Socialist state and the conservative revolutionary movement, advocating for a hierarchical state that prioritized collective will over individual freedom.
Achievements
- Held posts at Leipzig University, Kiel University and University of Münster
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