African Alexandrovich Spir (1837-1890) [also known as Afrikan Spir ] was born in the city of Yelisawetgrad, Ukraine . He left Russia permanently in 1867, studied in Leipzig, Germany when philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a student there (though they never met), and in 1869 moved to Tübingen, then in 1871 to Stuttgart. He married Elizabeth Gatternich in 1872 and they had a daughter Hélène. His most important book, Denken und Wirklichkeit: Versuch einer Erneuerung der kritischen Philosophie = Thought and reality: Attempt at a renewal of critical philosophy, was published in 1873 by his friend and publisher J.G. (Joseph Gabriel) Findel of Leipzig. In 1878 he contracted a lung infection and moved to Lausanne, Switzerland and in 1886 he moved to Geneva where he died of influenza in March of 1890. Spir never held a university appointment and therefore much of his writing remained unknown throughout his life. Some believe his work influenced the German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche.
Spir's daughter, Hélène Spir Claparède, is sometimes cited as Hélène Claparède-Spir. Her husband was Swiss psychologist and educator, Edouard Claparède (1873-1940). They had two children, a daughter, Eliane Claparède, and a son, Jean Louis Claparède (1901-1937). Jean Louis Claparède was an active proponent of the international peace movement. He died of a heart attack at age 35.
From the guide to the Claparède-Spir family papers, 1867-1940., (Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University)
