Hans Mayer, a jurist and literary scholar, produced over forty volumes of critical investigation during a career that spanned the twentieth century. Born in Cologne in 1907, his life was marked by exile from Nazi Germany, a tenure as a professor in Leipzig, and eventual academic work in both the German Democratic Republic and West Germany.
Early Career and Exile
Mayer studied jurisprudence, political science, history, and philosophy at the universities of Cologne, Bonn, and Berlin, completing his doctorate in 1930. A socialist, he engaged in political journalism before fleeing to France in 1933. While in exile, he spent time in Geneva, where he worked as a social researcher. Between 1937 and 1939, he participated in the College of Sociology in Paris, delivering lectures on the precursors to Nazi symbolism within German Romanticism.
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Returning to Germany in 1945, Mayer worked in media before moving to the Soviet occupation zone in 1948. He accepted a professorship for literary studies at Leipzig University, becoming a bridge between intellectual circles in the East and West. He resigned his position in 1963, eventually settling in West Germany to teach at Leibniz University Hannover. After retiring in 1973, he continued his work as an honorary professor in Tübingen until his death in 2001.
Literary Scholarship and Major Works
Mayer’s bibliography covers figures such as Georg Büchner, Thomas Mann, and James Joyce. His 1975 study, Außenseiter, explored the historical marginalization of women, Jews, and homosexuals, drawing on his own background. His memoir, Ein Deutscher auf Widerruf, appeared in 1982. In 1991, he published Der Turm von Babel, an assessment of the German Democratic Republic. Despite losing his eyesight in his later years, he continued to dictate texts, concluding his career with a 2001 memoir of Willy Brandt.
Fast facts
- Born: 1907, Cologne
- Died: 2001, Tübingen
- Education: University of Cologne, University of Bonn, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Key positions: Editor-in-chief, University teacher
- Awards: National Prize of East Germany, Heinrich Mann Prize (1995), Ernst Bloch Award (1988)
- Memberships: Academy of Arts (GDR), Sächsische Akademie der Künste
Questions readers ask
What was Mayer's perspective on East Germany?
He maintained a complex relationship with the state, eventually publishing a critical assessment titled Der Turm von Babel in 1991.
Did Mayer write in English?
No, his primary language was German, though many of his works, including his study of outsiders, have been translated into other languages.
Achievements
- National Prize of East Germany
- Great Cross with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Heinrich Mann Prize — 1995
- Held posts at University of Tübingen, Leipzig University and Leibniz University Hannover
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