Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Voegelin, Eric, 1901-1985
- Abstract:
- Correspondence, speeches and writings, reports, memoranda, conference proceedings, and printed matter relating to the philosophy of history, the philosophy of science, various other aspects of philosophy, and to political science and other social sciences, especially as considered from a philosophical perspective. Also available on microfilm.
- Extent:
- 134 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize box, 7 card file boxes, 5 envelopes (60.2 Linear Feet)
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Eric Voegelin papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The papers document the career and life of Eric Voegelin, a German-American philosopher and political scientist. The collection includes correspondence, speeches and writings, reports, memoranda, conference proceedings, photographs, and printed matter related to the philosophy of history and the philosophy of science. The material is arranged in two similar groups, with incremental materials dating from 1901 to 1996.
Eric Voegelin was born in Germany in 1901. He moved with his family to Austria in 1910, going through the habilitation and privatdozent processes at the University of Vienna, where he became a professor. When Nazi forces annexed Austria in 1938, Voegelin fled to Switzerland, and then immigrated to the United States, where he was naturalized in 1944. The Biographical File provides documentation on Voegelin's life, including materials related to his move to the United States, anniversary tributes and memorials, and honorary degrees.
Voegelin was a prolific author, publishing works in German and English. Speeches and Writings include drafts, correspondence, and notes for such works as the multi-volume Order and History and History of Political Ideas, which was published after Voegelin's death.
Voegelin taught at several universities in the United States and abroad, including the University of Vienna, Harvard University, Bennington College, the University of Alabama, Louisiana State University, and the University of Munich. Course Material contains Voegelin's lecture materials, syllabi, and reading lists for courses that he taught.
While in Munich, Voegelin founded the Institut für Politische Wissenschaft, which was later renamed the Geschwister-Scholl-Institut für Politische Wissenschaft (Universität München). The Office File includes documents related to this institution, such as correspondence, reports, and minutes.
In 1932, Voegelin married Lissy Onken, also known as Luise Betty Voegelin. The Lissy Voegelin File contains correspondence (some of which concerns Voegelin and his writing) and appointment books.
The Photographs and Postcards in the collection have a focus on artifacts, with images from sites and cultures around that world. One folder of artifact photographs bears the name of Marie König, who has been cited as an influence on Voegelin in the area of Stone Age symbolism (Cooper). Negatives in the collection contain scenic views of Yellowstone National Park, Niagara Falls, Stanford University, Vienna, and various cities in the United States.
The majority of the incremental materials in the collection are described in an inventory of the estate of Lissy Voegelin. Inventory numbers within the container list refer to the original numbers given to materials in this inventory, which can be found with the Eric Voegelin finding aid in the Hoover Archives reading room.
Source: Cooper, Barry. "Voegelin and his Contemporaries." Voegelin View. Accessed through: http://voegelinview.com/all-Current-Articles/voegelin-and-his-contemporaries-pt-1.html
- Biographical / historical:
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Date Event 1901 January 3 Born, Cologne, Germany1910 Family relocated to Vienna, Austria1922 Dr. rerum politicarum, University of Vienna1924-1927 Fellow, Rockefeller Foundation1928 Author, Uber die Form des amerikanischen Geistes1928 Habilitation, University of Vienna1929-1936 Privatdozent, University of Vienna1932 Married Lissy Onken (1906-)1933 Author, Rasse und Staat and Die Rassenidee in der Geistesgeschichte von Ray bis Carus1936 Author, Der autoritäre Staat1936-1938 Adjunct professor ("Extraordinarius") of political science, University of Vienna1938 Immigrated to the United StatesAuthor, <title render="italic">Die politischen Religionen</title>1938-1939 Tutor and instructor, Harvard University1939 Instructor, Bennington College, Vermont1939-1942 Professor, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa1942-1959 Professor, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge1944 Naturalized1952 Author, The New Science of Politics1956 Author, Order and History, Vol.I: Israel and Revelation1957 Author, Order and History, Vol.II: The World of the Polis and Vol.III: Plato and Aristotle1958-1969 Professor, University of Munich, West Germany Founded the Institut für Politische Wissenschaft [renamed Geschwister-Scholl-Institut für Politische Wissenschaft (Universität München) in 1968]1959 Author, Wissenschaft, Politik und Gnosis1966 Author, Anamnesis. Zur Theorie der Geschichte und Politik1969-1974 Henry Salvatori Distinguished Scholar, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace1974 Author, Order and History, Vol.IV: The Ecumenic Age1974-1985 Senior Research Fellow, Hoover Institution1975 Author, From Enlightenment to Revolution1985 January 19 Died, Stanford, California1987 Author, Order and History, Vol.V: In Search of Order (published posthumously) - Acquisition information:
- Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 1975, with increments to the collection acquired between 1975 and 2012.
- Physical location:
- Hoover Institution Library & Archives
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
- Terms of access:
-
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Eric Voegelin papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Location of this collection:
-
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford UniversityStanford, CA 94305-6003, US
- Contact:
- (650) 723-3563