Wilhelm Scherer

Wilhelm Scherer (26.4.1841–6.8.1886) is the most important and effective linguist and especially literary scholar of his time and far beyond. He can be considered the reformer of German studies and was also a brilliant essayist and feuilletonist. His intellectuality is marked by the tradition of Austrian Enlightenment, of which he was the "grandson" born in 1841. Widely known during his lifetime for his work as a full professor at the universities of Vienna, Strasbourg (Alsace), and Berlin, Scherer, with the help of his students, many of whom attained professorships throughout the German-speaking cultural area, had a lasting influence on the university life of his subject. He became and remained famous into the 20th century for his essays (feuilletons) and his exceedingly widely read "History of German Literature."