Von Holst, H. (Hermann), 1841-1904

Variant names

Dates:

Birth 1841-06-19

Death 1904-01-20

Biographical notes:

History professor, University of Chicago.

From the description of Papers, 1855-1903. (University of Chicago Library). WorldCat record id: 52248509

Hermann Eduard Von Holst (1841-1904), Professor of History, University of Chicago. Von Holst was a German national who taught at the Universities of Freiburg and Strasbourg prior to his immigration to the United States in 1892. Upon his arrival he became Chair of the History Department at Chicago, a position he held until ill health forced his retirement in 1900. Von Holst's master work, The Constitutional and Political History of the United States (1876), looked critically at the development and operation of American democracy. In particular, Von Holst demonstrated the incommensurability of liberal ideals and the institution of slavery. American scholars and citizens alike were dismayed by the suggestions of immorality and self-interestedness within their leadership class. Von Holst's other publications include The Constitutional Law of the United States of America (1885); John C. Calhoun (1882); John Brown (1888); and The French Revolution Tested by Mirabeau's Career (1894).

From the guide to the Von Holst, Hermann Eduard. Collection, 1869-1902, (Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.)