Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1951-04-19
Denmark
Who's Who In Denmark

Brandes, Georg 10. 1922. Liter
airy critic. From the University
of Copenhagen he received in 1870
she doctor degree with his thesis
"Contemporaneous French Aesthe-
tics"
Travels abroad, lasting the
greater part of 2 years, took him
to Paris, London and Rome and
brought him into touch with mod
ern Europe. He now set himself
the task Ito open the doors from
within" for the progressive ideas
of the times. His lectures at the
University about Principal Cur
rents in the Literature of the 10th
Century" caused an enormous SEN
sation, enthusiasm among the
Youth. contradiction and resent
ment among the older generation.
His adversaries succeeded in pre-
venting his appointment to pro-
fessorial chair, whereupon Brandes
left the country and established
himself in Berlin. From private
quarters he was offered subsidy
equal to the stipend of a profess
sor; he now returned home, and
his studies during the following
years concentrate more and more
on great individual personalities,
Shakespeare" Goethe, VOL
tairo" and Caesar"
George Brandes' Importance has
been always much disputed, but of
his influence there can be no
doubt. partly in the cultural sense
as an awakener of his contempor-
aries and as turner of tides"
partly and not least, as the always
alert intermediary between ELL
rope and Denmark.
Thomsen, Wilhelm (1S42-192O.
Linguist. Already as school-boy
he was intensely interested in for
eign languages and, for instance,
learned without external help Fin
nish. Icelandic and Spanish, and
later even Arabic and Sanskrit. At
the University he studied Latin
and Greek, but besides he read
and studied as much of foreign
languages as he could possibly
manage - Turkish, Lycian, Draw
dian, Khezvarian and many 9TH
esrs. His proper field is compare
h or nh
his capital work, the deciphering
in 1898 of the so-called Orkhon in
scriptions which had so far defied
all attempts of reading. BY this
Interpretation and deciphering Of
certain Old-Turkish inscriptions
from Mongolia and South Siberia
D. he obtained an achievement reck-
oned among the greatest in the
history of philology.
Hoeffding. Harald (1S43-193D
Philosopher Born in a well-to-do
family: studied divinity but the
reading OF The works of Soeren
Kirskegaard opened his eyes for
the contrasts between primitive
christianity ard modern theology:
he broke with TIE latter and turn
ed 70 philosophy.
Obtained MS doctors degree in
1870 with the treatise on Anti
ouity's Conception Of Human VIII"
With his two works, The Philos-
ophy Of Germany after Hegel, and
Contemporary English Philoso-
ply. he expounded his own phil
osophy as a grandiose doctrine OF
syntheticism. intended to assimil-
ate the whole OF empiristic science
without ever giving experience
oogmatic conclusion, but on an
ideai!stic 5asis III a little book
ION the Basis of Human Ethics"
he subsequently formulated a de-
mand for a moral code without
any religious basis. In 1883 ne
was appointed to the chair Of
philosophy. and figured now as the
pioneer of the mode of thinking
of an entirely new epoch. as is
clearly and distinctly shown by
works like Ethics" Philosophy
OF Religion" Human Thought, its
Forms and Problems. and several
others.