Paul Honigsheim (28 March 1885 - 22 January 1963)

Born in Düsseldorf, he studied history, law, political science and philosophy in Bonn, Berlin and lastly in Heidelberg. There, greatly influenced by Max Weber, he earned his doctorate in 1914. During the war he worked as a translator in German prisoner camps. From 1919 he was active in the University of Cologne’s Institute of Sociology . After completing his promotion to professor in 1920, he also held his first professorship there. At the same time, Honigsheim was also the director of the adult education centre of Cologne. In 1933, he immigrated to France. From 1936 to 1938 he taught as a professor of philosophy, sociology and ethnology at the University of Panama. He relocated to the USA in 1938, where he worked as a professor of sociology and anthropology at Michigan State University until 1950.  His areas of study included sociology of education, sociology of culture and anthropology, as well as studies in the history of ideas and sociology. Hectographed manuscripts of numerous lecture notes from his time in Michigan as well as lectures he composed for the RIAS station (Broadcasting in the American Sector) after the war can be found in the Archive. An index is available.

Paul Honigsheim Papers