LEO, HEINRICH (1799-1878)

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LEO, HEINRICH (1799-1878) , German historian, was born at Rudolstadt on the 19th of March 1799, his father being chaplain to the garrison there. His family, not of Italian originas he himself was inclined to believe on the strength of family traditionbut established in Lower Saxony so early as the 16th century, was typical of the German upper middle classes, and this fact, together with the strongly religious atmosphere in which he was brought up and his early enthusiasm for nature, largely determined the bent of his mind. The taste for historical study was, moreover, early instilled into him by the eminent philologist Karl Wilhelm Gottling (1793-1869), who in 1816 became a master at the Rudolstadt gymnasium. From 1816 to 1819 Leo studied at the universities of Breslau, Jena and Gottingen, devoting himself more especially to history, philology and theology. At this time the universities were still agitated by the Liberal and patriotic aspirations aroused by the War of Liberation; at Breslau Leo fell under the influence of Jahn, and joined the political gymnastic association (Turuverein); at Jena he attached himself to the radical wing of the German Bursche,nschaft, the so-called " Black Band," under the leadership of Karl Follen. The murder of Kotzebue by Karl Sand, however, shocked him out of his extreme revolutionary views, and fromthis time he tended, under the influence of the writings of Hamann and Herder, more and more in the direction of conservatism and romanticism, until at last he ended, in a mood almost of pessimism, by attaching himself to the extreme right wing of the forces of reaction. So early as April 1819, at Gottingen, he had fallen under the influence of Karl Ludwig von Haller's Handbuch der allgemeinen Staatenkunde (18o8), a text-book of the counter-Revolution. On the Irth of May 1820 he took his

doctor

DOCTOR (Lat. for " teacher ")

's degree; in the same year he qualified as Privatdozent at the university of Erlangen. For this latter purpose he had chosen as his thesis the constitution of the free Lombard cities in the middle ages, the province in which he was destined to do most for the scientific study of history. His

interest

INTEREST

in it was greatly stimulated by a journey to Italy in 1823; in 1824 he returned to the subject, and, as the result, published in five volumes a history of the Italian states (18291832). Meanwhile he had been established (1822-1827) as Dozent at Berlin, where he came in contact with the leaders of German thought and was somewhat spoilt by the flattering attentions of the highest Prussian society. Here, too, it was that

Hegel

HEGEL, GEORG WILHELM FRIEDRICH (1770-1831)

'sphilosophy of history made a deep impression upon him. It was at

Halle

, however, where he remained for

forty

FORTY

years (1$28-1868), that he acquired his fame as an academical teacher. His wonderful power of exposition, aided by a remarkable memory, is attested by the most various witnesses. In 1830 he became

ordinary

ORDINARY (med. Lat. ordinarius, Fr. ordinaire)

professor.
In addition to his lecturing, Leo found time for much literary and political

work

WORK

. He collaborated in the Jahrbiicher fur Wissenschaftliche Kritikfrom its foundation in 1827 until the publication was stopped in 1846. As a critic of independent views he won the approval of Goethe; on the other hand, he fell into violent controversy withRanke about questions connected with Italian history. Up to the revolutionary year 1830 his religious views had remained strongly tinged with rational-ism,

Hegel

HEGEL, GEORG WILHELM FRIEDRICH (1770-1831)

remaining his guide in religion as in

practical

PRACTICAL

politics and the treatment of history. It was not till 1838 that Leo's polemical

work

WORK

Die Hegelingen proclaimed his breach with the radical developments of the philosopher's later disciples; a breach which developed into opposition to the philosopher him-self. Under the 'impression of the July revolution in Paris and of the orthodox and pietistic influences at

Halle

, Leo's political convictions were henceforth dominated by reactionary principles. As a friend of the Prussian " Camarilla " and of King Frederick William IV. he collaborated especially in the high conservative Politisches Wochenblatt, which first appeared in 1831, as well as in the Evangelische Kirchenzeitung, the Kreuzzeitung and the Volksblatt fur Stadt and Land. In all this his critics scented an inclination towards Catholicism; and Leo did actually glorify the counter-Reformation, e.g. in his History of the Netherlands (2 vols. 18321835) His other historical works also, notably his Universalgeschichte (6 vols., 18351844), display a very otiesided point of view. When, however, in connexion with the quarrel about the archbishopric of Cologne (1837), political Catholicism raised its head menacingly, Leo turned against it with extreme violence in his open

letter

LETTER (through Fr. lettre from Lat. littera or litera, letter of the alphabet; the origin of the Latin word is obscure; it has probably no connexion with the root of linere, to smear, i.e. with wax, for an inscription with a stilus)

(1838) to Goerres, its foremost champion. On the other hand, he took a lively part in the politico-religious controversies within the fold of Prussian Protestantism.
Leo was by nature highly excitable and almost insanely passionate, though at the same time strictly honourable, unselfish, and in private intercourse even gentle. During the last year of his life his mind suffered rapid decay, of which signs had been apparent so early as 1868. He died at Halle on the 24th of April 1878. In addition to the works already mentioned, he left behind an account of his early life (Meine Jugendzeit, Gotha, 1880) which is of

interest

INTEREST

.
See Lord Acton, English Historical Review, i. (1886); H. Haupt, Karl Follen und die Giessener Schwarzen (Giessen, 1907) ; W. Herbst, Deutsch-Evangelische Bldtter, Bd. 3; P. Kragelin, H. Leo, vol. i. (1779-1844) (

Leipzig

LEIPZIG

, 1908); P. Kraus, Allgemeine Konservative Monatsschrift, Bd. 5o u. 51; R. M. Meyer, Gestalten and Probleme (1904) ; W. Schrader, Geschichte der Friedrichs- Universitai in Halle (Berlin, 1894); C. Varrentrapp, Historische Zeitschrift, Bd. 92; F. X. Wegele, Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, Bd. 18 (1883);
Geschichte der deutschen Historiographie (1885); G. Wolf, Einffiihrung in das Studium der neueren Geschichte (1910). Leo's Rectitudines singularum personarum nebst einer einleitenden Abhandlung fiber Landsiedelung, Landbau, gutsherrliche and bauerliche Verhaltnisse der Angelsachsen, was translated into English by Lord Acton (1852).
U. HN.)

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