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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011
If I were to offer one specific reason for our meeting today, beyond a general and justifiable intention to commemorate the contribution made to early Ottoman historical studies by the late Professor Paul Wittek, it would not be that the year 1987 marks any of the usual anniversaries in the life of our subject. Wittek, a Fellow of this Society, was the first occupant of the Chair of Turkish in the University of London, from 1948 to 1961. It is still seven years short of one hundred since he was born, on 11 January 1894, in Baden, to the south of Vienna, the son of a Gymnasium headmaster; and it is less than a decade since The Times recorded the death, at the age of eighty-four, in an outer suburb of London, of this quintessentially Austrian scholar.
2 The Times, 16 June 1978.Google Scholar
3 University of London, University Archive. Minutes of Senate, 21 July 1937, p. 56.Google Scholar
4 University of London. [University Lecture announcement.] Single sheet, printed. Author's collection.
5 I have noted the following: The Times, loc. cit. (anonymous), together with a supplementary notice, 24 June 1978, by C. J. F. D[owsett]; Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 42, 1979, pp. 137–9,CrossRefGoogle Scholar (John Wansbrough); Castrum Peregrini, 28. Jg., 138. Hft. (Amsterdam, 1979), pp. 112–3 (unsigned notice [by C. V. Bock]); Der Islam, 56, 1979, pp. 9–10,Google Scholar (Anton Cornelius Schaendlinger); International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 10, 1979, pp. 139–41;CrossRefGoogle ScholarBelleten, 43 (172), 1979, pp. 837–40Google Scholar (Shaw, Stanford J.); Istanbuler Mitteilungen, 29, 1979, pp. 5–6,Google Scholar (Kreiser, Klaus); Oriente Moderno, 58/ 5–6, 1978,Google Scholar (Francesco Gabrieli). Cf. also Ménage, V. L., in International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 12, 1980, p. 373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6 University of London, University Archive. Minute-books of the Board of Studies in Oriental Languages and Literatures, 24 October 1935.Google Scholar
7 [Bock], p. 112.Google Scholar
8 The Times, 16 June 1978.Google Scholar
9 I am grateful to Dr A. E. Lieber for this information. Cf. Shaw, p. 139.Google Scholar
10 Shaw, , loc. cit.; Schaendlinger, p. 9.Google Scholar
11 Wittek, Paul, “Die Entstehung der Zenturienordnung. Studie zur ältesten römischen Sozial- und Verfassungsgeschichte”, Doktor-Arbeit, University of Vienna, 1920.Google Scholar Wittek published it (under an amended title) in Vierteljahrsschrift für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte, 16, 1922, pp. 1–38.Google Scholar
12 Seif, Theodor, Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes, 39, 1932, pp. 1–5.Google Scholar
13 “Paul Wittek. Schriftenverzeichnis 1921–1966”, Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes, 68, 1976, pp. 1–7,Google Scholar nos. 12 and 13.
14 Wittek's articles in the Oesterriechische Rundschau, although omitted from his “official” list of publications (see n. 13, supra), are not without relevance for his attitude to Ottoman (and Turkish) history. Cf. in particular “Der Türkei nach dem Weltkrieg” (OeR 17, 1921, pp. 599–603,Google Scholar and “Die Deutsche Volk und das Osten”, ibid., 18, 1922, pp. 771–8.
15 Kreiser. loc. cit. Cf. Paul Wittek, Konstantinopel. [Description of the city written for the Hamburg-America Line cruise-ship Oceana.] Hamburg-Amerika Linie. Deutsche Levant Linie General Agentur. Konstantinopel, 1928.
16 Lindner, Rudi Paul, Nomads and Ottomans in medieval Anatolia, Bloomington, 1983, pp. 2–4.Google Scholar
17 “Schriftenverzeichnis”, nos. 16 and 17.
18 Bittel, K., Deichmann, F. W., Grünhagen, W. et al. , Beiträge zur Geschichte des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts 1929 bis 1979, vol. 1, Mainz, 1979, pp. 65,Google Scholar ff.; cf. Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, N.F. 9/i (84), 1930, p. 109Google Scholar (= Der Islam, 19, 1931, p. 191Google Scholar).
19 Schriftenverzeichnis”, nos. 4, 6–8, 18, 21, 22, 24, 25, 30, 35.
20 Wittek, P., Das Fürstentum Mentesche. Studie zur Geschichte Westkleinasiens im 13–15.Google Scholar Jh. (= Istanbuler Mitteilungen, 2.) Istanbul, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, 1934. (“Schriftenverzeichnis”, no. 1.) On Mordtmann see Babinger, F., J. H. Mordtmann zum Gedächtnis, Berlin, 1932.Google Scholar
21 Wittek to Bittel. Unpublished letter, 2 pp. typescript. Brussels, 29. 12. 1934. German Archaeological Institute, Istanbul. Archive. Photocopy kindly communicated by Prof. Klaus Kreiser.
22 Bittel, et al. , op. cit., p. 93.Google Scholar
23 Annuaire de I'Institut de Philologie et d'Histoire Orientates et Slaves, 3, 1935, p. 644;Google Scholar cf. ibid., 6,1938, pp. 408–9.
24 University of London. Minutes of Board of Studies in Oriental Languages and Literatures, 22 October and 9 December 1936.
25 The announcement was printed, according to its colophon, on 26 February 1937.
26 Wittek was accompanied to London by his student, Mr [later Professor] Peter Charanis (1908–65). Professor Charanis kindly observed to me (in a conversation at Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C., in May 1982) that during the four days preceding the giving of the lectures, “they were unable to see anything of London because the entire time was spent in putting the English text of the lectures into acceptable form”. His observation that “the text of the lectures as published differed somewhat from the form in which they were given” may also be confirmed (cf. the Preface to the i ‘blished version of the lectures [n. 27, infra], p. v.: they were revised by Gibb).
27 Wittek, Paul, The Rise of the Ottoman Empire, London, 1938 (Royal Asiatic Society Monographs, vol. XXIII).Google Scholar (“Schriftenverzeichnis”, no. 2.)
28 For the earlier and contemporary work of which the London lectures form an epitome cf. Wittek, , op. cit., p. 52Google Scholar, n. 1 (= “Schriftenverzeichnis”, nos. 1, 22,24, 28).
29 C. J. Heywood, “‘Boundless dreams of the Levant’: Paul Wittek, the George-Kreis, and the writing of Ottoman history”, unpublished paper delivered at a Symposium on Wittek held at the School of Oriental and African Studies on 25 June 1984, and subsequently (in a slightly abridged form) at the Cambridge meeting of the Comité des études ottomanes et préottomanes, in July 1984. I hope to publish this paper at an early opportunity.
30 See n. 80, infra.
31 Wansbrough, John E., Res Ipsa Loquitur: History and Mimesis, Jerusalem, 1987, p. 6.Google Scholar
32 Heywood, , “‘Boundless Dreams’”, passim.Google Scholar
32a Lindner, , loc. cit.,Google ScholarImber, Colin, “Paul Wittek's ‘De la défaite d'Ankara à la prise de Constantinople’”, Osmanh Araştirmalan/ The Journal of Ottoman Studies, 5, 1986, pp. 65–81;Google ScholarJennings, R. C., “Some thoughts on the Gazi-Thesis”, WZKM, 76, 1986, pp. 151–61.Google Scholar
33 Wittek, P., “De la délaite d'Ankara á la prise de Constantinople (un demi-siècle d'histoire ottomane)”Google Scholar—the texts of two lectures delivered by Wittek at the Sorbonne, 29 and 31 March 1938—Revue des études islamiques, 12, 1938), pp. 1–34Google Scholar (= ‘Schriftenverzeichnis’, no. 32); reprinted in Wittek, Paul, La formation de l'Empire ottoman (ed. Ménage, V. L.), London, 1982, § II.Google Scholar
33a Imber, , op. cit., p. 81.Google Scholar
34 Lindner, , op. cit., p. 3.Google Scholar
35 Fichtner, Paul Sutter, “History, religion and politics in the Austrian Vormärz”, History and Theory, 10, 1971, pp. 33–48;CrossRefGoogle Scholar Paul R. Sweet, “Historical writing of Heinrich von Srbik”, ibid., 9, 1970, pp. 37–58; on Ottoman [historical] studies in Austria cf. Babinger, Franz, “Die türkischen Studien in Europa bis zum Auftreten Josef von Hammer-Purgstall”, Die Welt des Islams, 7, 1919, pp. 102–129;CrossRefGoogle Scholar and Wittek, P. and Kraelitz, F., “Einleitung” Mitteilungen zur Osmanischen Geschichte, 1, 1921–1922, pp. 1–12;Google Scholar also Tietze, Andreas, “Mit dem Leben gewachsen: zur osmanischen Geschichtsschreibung in den letzten fünfzig Jahren”, in Heiss, Gernot and Klingenstein, Grete (eds.), Das Osmanische Reiche und Europa 1683 bis 1789: Konflikt, Entspannung und Austausch, Wien, 1983, pp. 15–23.Google Scholar
36 Oesterreich und die Osmanen. Gemeinsame Austellung, Oesterreichischen Nationalbibliothek, 31. Mai bis 30. Oktober 1983, Wien, 1983, nos. 69–75,Google Scholar 80, 175, 337, 340, and the literature there cited.
37 Bowen, Harold, British Contributions to Turkish Studies, London, 1945.Google Scholar Cf. Findley, Carter V., “Sir James W. Redhouse (1811–1892): the making of a perfect orientalist?”, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 99, 1980, pp. 573–600.Google Scholar For a corrective to Wittek's deterministic view of the last years of the Ottoman and Habsburg empires (cf. Rise of the Ottoman Empire, p. 3Google Scholar), Bridge, F. R., “Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire in the Twentieth Century”, Mitteilungen des Oesterreichischen Staatsarchivs, 34, 1981, pp. 234–71,Google Scholar especially pp. 234–5, 270.
38 Fichtner, , op. cit., pp. 33–4.Google Scholar
39 Ibid., p. 34.
40 Ibid., p. 48.
41 On Hammer's relations with the Austrian authorities see Fichtner, , op. cit., pp. 41, ff.Google Scholar
42 Hammer-Purgstall, Joseph, Geschichte des Osmanischen Reiches, vol. 1, Pest, 1827Google Scholar [rp. Graz, 1963], pp. [v]—[xii]. For an appreciative evaluation of Hammer's major work in the context of Austrian history-writing in the Vormärz, Srbik, Joseph, Geist und Geschichte vom Deutschen Humanismus bis zur Gegenwart, ii, Wien, 1952, p. 92.Google Scholar
43 Fichtner, , op. cit., pp. 34,Google Scholar 46–7.
44 Momigliano, A. D., Studies in Historiography, London, 1966, pp. 1–3, 24, ffGoogle Scholar.
45 Wittek, P., “Die Glaubenskämpfer im Osmanenstaat”, Oostersch Genootschap in Nederland, Verslag van het Achtste Congres gehouden te Leiden op 6–8 Januari 1936, Leiden:Google ScholarBrill, E. J., 1936, pp. 2–7;Google Scholaridem., “Deux chapitres de l'histoire des Turcs de Roum. 2. Les Ghazis dans l'histoire ottomane”, Byzantion, 11, 1936, pp. 302–319Google Scholar (“Schriftenverzeichnis”, nos. 26, 28, being the texts of lectures delivered in Leiden and at the Sorbonne, in January and March 1936, respectively.)
46 Wittek, , “Deux chapitres”, p. 317Google Scholar (Bāyezīd I); Rise, p. 3Google Scholar (World War I).
47 Wittek, , “Glaubenskämpfer”, p. 7.Google Scholar
48 In a forthcoming study on Wittek and the writing of Ottoman history.
49 Menzel, T., “Die ältesten türkischen Mystiker”, Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenlündischen Gesellschaft, N. F. 4 (79), 1925, pp. 269–88.Google ScholarWittek's communication is at pp. 288–9.Google Scholar
50 Menzel, , op. cit., p. 280.Google Scholar
51 Ibid.,
52 Ibid.,
53 Ibid., p. 279.
54 Ibid., p. 289.
55 Ibid., p. 288.
56 Seen. 45, supra.
57 Pending the publication of my earlier paper, with the more extensive references contained therein, cf. Wittek, P., “Einleitung”, Oesterreichische Rundschau, 18, 1922, pp. 1,Google Scholar ff.
58 Wittek, P., “Der Dichter unserer Zeit” [on Stefan George], Oesterreichische Rundschau, 19, 1923, pp. 719–738.Google Scholar
59 On Kurt Hildebrandt (1881–1966) prior to 1933 see Lothar Helbing [= Wolfgang Frommel], Stefan George: Dokwnente seiner Wirkung, Amsterdam, 1974, pp. 126–32;Google Scholar for the subsequent period, see Malkiel, Y., “Ernst H. Kantorowicz”, in Evans, A. R. jr, (ed.), On Four Modem Humanists, Princeton, N. J., 1970, pp. 146–219, at pp. 151, 194–5.Google Scholar
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61 Hildebrandt, , Norm und Verfall des Staates, Dresden, 1924, p. 11.Google Scholar
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63 Hammer, , Geschichte des Osmanischen Reiches, vol. 1 (Pest, 1827; rp. Graz, 1963), pp. 49–50.Google Scholar
64 Wittek, P., “The taking of Aydos castle: a Ghazi legend and its transformation”, in Makdisi, G. (ed.), Arabic and Islamic Studies in honor of Hamilton A. R. Gibb, Leiden, 1965, pp. 662–72.Google Scholar (“Schriftenverzeichnis”, no. 55.)
65 Wittek, P., “Muhammad II”, in Rohden, P. R. (ed.), Menschen die Geschichte machten. Viertausend Jahre Weltgeschichte in Zeit- und Lebensbildem, 2nd edn., vol. 1, Wien: L. W. Seidel & Sohn, 1933, pp. 557–562Google Scholar (correcting “Schriftenverzeichnis”, no. 5); idem, “De la Défaite” (cf. n. 33, supra), p. 34; idem, “Fat Mubīn. ‘An eloquent conquest’“, in Runciman, S., Lewis, B., Betts, R. R., Rubinstein, N. and Wittek, P., The Fall of Constantinople, London: School of Oriental and African Studies, 1955, pp. 33–44,Google Scholar passim (correcting “Schriftenverzeichnis”, no. 9.)
66 Hildebrandt, , op. cit., p. 114Google Scholar: “So mag auch der Staat aus vielen historischen Elementen zusammengewachsen sein, ja gerade in der Bindung vieler Gegensátze seine grossere Kraft bewahren”.
67 Wittek, “De la Défaite”, passim; Imber, “Wittek's ‘De la Défaite’“ (cf. n. 32a, supra), pp. 68, 69–70.
68 For a number of insights which might usefully be, but have not been, applied more narrowly to the study of Ottoman, rather than Islamic history, cf. Von Grunebaum, G. E., “Self-image and approach to history”, in Lewis, Bernard and Holt, P. M. (eds.), Historians of the Middle East, London, 1962, pp. 457–483.Google Scholar
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70 Ibid.,
71 Ibid.,
72 Ibid.,
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79 Wittek, P., “Der ‘Beiname’ des osmanischen Sultans Mehemmed I”. Eretz Israel, 7, pp. 147*–153*, at p. 152*.Google Scholar
80 I am grateful to a number of colleagues for their observations, in particular Professor V. L. Ménage, Professor Claus Bock, Professor J. E. Wansbrough, Dr. Colin Imber and Dr. D. O. Morgan for their critical comments at the S.O. A.S. Symposium; Professor Halil Inalcik, Professor Jacob Landau, Professor Rifaat Abou-El-Haj and Professor Gustav Bayerle for their equally valuable contributions to the discussion at Cambridge (cf. n. 29, supra), and Dr. Jonathan Marwil and Professor Bernard Lewis for subsequent communications.
81 Goldscheider, L. (Jacob Burckhardt, The Civilisation of the Renaissance in Italy, London, 1944, p. x).Google Scholar Cf. Heller, Erich, The Disinherited Mind, London, n.d. [?1952], pp. 67, ff.;Google ScholarHerkless, J. L., “Meinecke and the Ranke – Burckhardt Problem”, History and Theory, 9, 1970, pp. 290–321;CrossRefGoogle ScholarGombrich, E. H., In search of cultural history, Oxford, 1969.Google Scholar
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90 Heywood, , “‘Boundless Dreams’“, §3.Google Scholar
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