WAITZ, Georg (1813-1886), one of the most distinguished of modern German historians, was born at Flensburg, in the duchy of Schleswig, on October 9, 1813. He was educated at the Flensburg gymnasium and the universities of Kiel and Berlin. His strong bent to historical studies and the influence of Ranke early diverted him from his original purpose of studying law, and while still a student he began that series of researches in German mediaeval history which was to be the occupation of his life. On graduating at Berlin in August 1836, Waitz went to Hanover to assist Pertz in the great national work of publishing the Monumenta Germanise Historica; and the energy and learning he displayed in that position won him a summons to the chair of history at Kiel in 1842. The young professor soon began to take an interest in politics, and in 1846 entered the provincial diet as representative of his university. His leanings were strongly German, so that he became somewhat obnoxious to the Danish Government, a fact which made an invitation in 1847 to become professor of history at Göttingen peculiarly acceptable. The political events of 1848-49, however, delayed his appearance in his new chair. When the German party in the northern duchies rose against the Danish Government, Waitz hastened to place himself at the service of the provisional Government. He was sent to Berlin to represent the interests of the duchies there, and during his absence he was elected by Kiel as a delegate to the assembly at Frankfort. Waitz was an adherent of the party who were eager to bring about a union of the German states under a German emperor; and when the king of Prussia declined the imperial crown the professor withdrew from the assembly in disappointment, and ended his active share in public life. ...In the autumn of 1849 Waitz began his lectures at Göttingen. His style of speaking was dry and uninteresting; but the matter of his lectures was so practical and his teaching so sound that students were attracted in crowds to his lecture-room, and the reputation of the Göttingen historical school spread far and wide. At the same time Waitz’s pen was not idle, and his industry is to be traced in the list of his works and in the Proceedings of the different historical societies to which he belonged. In 1875 Waitz removed to Berlin to succeed Pertz as principal editor of the Monumenta Germanise Historica. In spite of advancing years the new editor threw himself into the work with all his former vigour, and took journeys to England, France, and Italy to collate works preserved in these countries. He died at Berlin on May 24, 1886. He was twice married,—in 1842 to a daughter of Schelling the philosopher, and in 1858 to a daughter of General Von Hartmann.
Waitz is often spoken of as the chief disciple of Ranke, though perhaps in general characteristics and mental attitude he has more affinity with Pertz or Dahlmann. He is an industrious and painstaking historian, who, without troubling himself about the graces of style, has collected and published an immense quantity of valuable and carefully sifted material. His special domain was mediaeval German history, and he rarely travelled beyond it.
Waitz’s chief works are— Deutsche Verfassungs-Geschichte, 8 vols., Kiel, 1844-78; 2d ed., 2 vols. only, 1865-70; Schleswig-Holsteins Geschichte, 2 vols., Göttingen, 1851-54 (the 3d vol. was never published); Lübeck unter Jurgen Wullenwever und die Europäische Politik, 3 vols., Berlin 1855-56; and Grundzüge der Politik, Kiel, 1862. Among his smaller works, which, however, indicate the line of his researches, are the following :— Jahrbücher des deutschen Reichs unter Heinrich I., Berlin, 1837, 3d ed., 1885; Ueber das Leben und die Lehre des Ulfila, Hanover, 1840; Das alle Recht der Salischcn Franken, Kiel, 1846; and Deutsche Kaiser von Karl clem Grossen bis Maximilian, Berlin, 1872. In conjunction with other scholars Waitz took a leading part in the publication of the Forschungen zur deutschen Geschichte, Munich, 1862 sq., and in the Nordalbingische Studien, published in the proceedings of the Schleswig-Holstein Historical Society, Kiel, 1844-51. It is impossible here to do more than refer to his numerous and valuable contributions to the Monumenta, and to his numerous papers and criticisms published in periodicals and the proceedings of historical societies. A Bibliographische Uebersicht über Waitz’s Werke was published by E. Steindorff at Gottingen in 1886.
Obituary notices of Waitz are to be found in the Historische Zeitschrift, new series, vol. xx.; in the publications for 1886 of the Berlin Academie der Wissenschaften, the Göttingen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften, and the Hansische Geschichtsverein; in the Historisches Jahrbuch der Görres Gesellschaft, vol. viii.; and in the Revue Historique, vol. xxxi.
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