Karl Helm (full name Karl Hermann Georg Helm; 19 May 1871 in Karlsruhe – 9 September 1960 in Marburg) was a German philologist who specialized in Germanic studies.
Biography Karl Helm was born in Karlsruhe, Germany on 19 May 1871. He studied German philology at the universities of Heidelberg and Freiburg and received his doctorate in 1895 with a dissertation on 16th-century poetry.
He completed his habilitation on the literature of the Teutonic Order, which was published in Giessen in 1899. After teaching in Giessen, Würzburg and Frankfurt, he was appointed professor of early Germanic philology at the University of Marburg in 1921.
Helm took over editorship of the Althochdeutsche Grammatik, Althochdeutsches Lesebuch and Gotische Grammatik from Wilhelm Braune, all standard works in Germanic studies. His own research focused on Middle High German, Old High German, Germanic folklore and religion. students of Helm include Karl Bischoff, , Hans Kuhn, Nechama Leibowitz, Eduard Neumann and Jost Trier.
Helm adhered to a national conservative ideology throughout his life, expressing sympathy for the German National People's Party (without however becoming a regular member). He was a member of the Militant League for German Culture from 1933, but he never became a member of the Nazi party. In November 1933 Helm signed the Vow of allegiance of the Professors of the German Universities and High-Schools to Adolf Hitler and the National Socialistic State.
Helm retired from Marburg as professor emeritus in 1936, but continued hold lectures there until 1958. He died in Marburg on 9 September 1960.
Selected works Zur Rhythmik der kurzen Reimpaare des 16. Jahrhunderts, 1895 (Publisher) Das Evangelium Nicodemi, 1902 (Publisher) Dichtungen des Deutschen Ordens. 1: Die Apokalypse Heinrichs von Hesler: aus der Danziger Handschrift, 1907 Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte, 1913 Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte. 2: Die nachrömische Zeit; Teil 1: Die Ostgermanen, 1937 Die Literatur des Deutschen Ritterordens, 1951 Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte. 2: Die nachrömische Zeit; Teil 2: Die Westgermanen, 1953
See also Rudolf Much Andreas Heusler Eugen Mogk Otto Höfler
References
Sources Peter Wengel: Karl Helm. In: Internationales Germanistenlexikon 1800-1950, eds. König, Wägenbaur, Frindt, vol. 1, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin – New York 2003. . Bernhard Maier: Karl Helm, In: Heinrich Beck, Dieter Geuenich, Heiko Steuer (eds.): Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde, vol.14, Berlin – New York 1999,
Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopädie, 1996.
External links
Karl Helm in the OPAC of Regesta Imperii