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Eugen Kullmann Collection

 Collection
Identifier: AR 25439

Scope and Content Note

The Eugen Kullmann Collection contains material pertaining to the philosopher Karl Joël and some of his family members, as well as material about members of the Philippson family; all materials about the two disparate families had been part of the private archives of Professor Eugen Kullman. The collection includes a large amount of correspondence, both personal and professional, as well as manuscripts, newspaper clippings, photographs and some printed articles. The majority of papers in this collection are in handwritten German script (Kurrentschrift and Suetterlin).

Series I comprises the papers of Karl Joël and his family. This series includes some personal and professional correspondence of Karl Joël and of his sister, Hedwig Joël. It also includes newspaper clippings on Karl Joël, his extensive notes and some articles, and a few papers of Rabbi Manuel Joël, Karl Joël's uncle.

Philippson family papers are located in Series II. Included are papers of Phöbus, Ludwig and Moritz Philippson, among others. The series holds mainly family correspondence, but there are also some manuscripts by family members and a few official papers and notes, as well as a partial family tree.

Dates

  • 1828-1949
  • Majority of material found in 1845-1934

Creator

Language of Materials

The collection is primarily in German, with some Judeo-German, Yiddish, and Latin.

Access Restrictions

Open to researchers.

Access Information

Collection is digitized. Follow the links in the Container List to access the digitized materials.

Use Restrictions

There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more information, contact:

Leo Baeck Institute, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011

email: lbaeck@lbi.cjh.org

Biographical Notes

Eugen Kullmann Eugen Kullmann was born in Erlenbach, Germany on March 20, 1915. Beginning in 1934 he studied at a rabbinical institution as well as at the Freies Jüdisches Lehrhaus in Frankfurt am Main. Later that year he went to the University of Basel in Switzerland, where he studied philosophy, philology and Biblical and ancient languages, among other subjects. In 1941 he received his doctorate. In Basel he met Paula Philippson and may have known Hedwig Joël.

In 1946 Eugen Kullmann joined his parents in the United States. From 1947-1968 he taught courses in philosophy at the New School for Social Research in New York City and was also a visiting professor at the Academy of Higher Jewish Learning (later the Academy for Jewish Religion), Bard College, the Jewish Theological Seminary and Smith College. In 1968 he became professor of religion at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. In 1984 he retired from teaching; he died on June 24, 2002.

Karl Joël Karl Joël (sometimes spelled Joel) was born in 1864 and became a philosopher and professor who spent much of his career at the University of Basel, where he first became a professor in 1893. In 1912 his most well-known work, Seele und Welt, was published. In 1913 he became rector of the university. He died in Basel in 1934.

Philippson Family The Philippson family was a German-Jewish family with roots in Saxony. The name Philippson was first used by Moses Philippson of Dessau. Moses Philippson married Marianne Levy-Wust; they had four children: Phöbus, Johanna, Ludwig and Julius. Phöbus became a physician, and established himself with a practice in Magdeburg. Six years later he moved to Klötze. In 1832 he married his cousin Sara Gottschalk; after Sara's death he married her sister Pauline. Ludwig Philippson was a writer and a rabbi. In 1833 he became the rabbi in Magdeburg. He married Mathilde Hirsch in 1844; they had six children. On doctor's recommendations he left Magdeburg for Bonn in 1862. Moritz Philippson was the eldest son of Phöbus Philippson and his first wife Sara. Like his father Moritz also became a physician and opened a medical practice in Berlin. In 1872 he married his cousin Meta Philippson, the eldest daughter of Ludwig and Mathilde Philippson. Moritz and Meta had only one child: Paula. After her husband's death in 1877, Meta and her daughter went to live in Ludwig Philippson's home in Bonn. Paula became a physician and studied in several cities to pursue this goal. She never married and died in Basel, Switzerland in 1949.

Eugen Kullmann

Eugen Kullmann was born in Erlenbach, Germany on March 20, 1915. Beginning in 1934 he studied at a rabbinical institution as well as at the Freies Jüdisches Lehrhaus in Frankfurt am Main. Later that year he went to the University of Basel in Switzerland, where he studied philosophy, philology and Biblical and ancient languages, among other subjects. In 1941 he received his doctorate. In Basel he met Paula Philippson and may have known Hedwig Joël.

In 1946 Eugen Kullmann joined his parents in the United States. From 1947-1968 he taught courses in philosophy at the New School for Social Research in New York City and was also a visiting professor at the Academy of Higher Jewish Learning (later the Academy for Jewish Religion), Bard College, the Jewish Theological Seminary and Smith College. In 1968 he became professor of religion at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. In 1984 he retired from teaching; he died on June 24, 2002.

Karl Joël

Karl Joël (sometimes spelled Joel) was born in 1864 and became a philosopher and professor who spent much of his career at the University of Basel, where he first became a professor in 1893. In 1912 his most well-known work, Seele und Welt, was published. In 1913 he became rector of the university. He died in Basel in 1934.

Philippson Family

The Philippson family was a German-Jewish family with roots in Saxony. The name Philippson was first used by Moses Philippson of Dessau. Moses Philippson married Marianne Levy-Wust; they had four children: Phöbus, Johanna, Ludwig and Julius. Phöbus became a physician, and established himself with a practice in Magdeburg. Six years later he moved to Klötze. In 1832 he married his cousin Sara Gottschalk; after Sara's death he married her sister Pauline. Ludwig Philippson was a writer and a rabbi. In 1833 he became the rabbi in Magdeburg. He married Mathilde Hirsch in 1844; they had six children. On doctor's recommendations he left Magdeburg for Bonn in 1862. Moritz Philippson was the eldest son of Phöbus Philippson and his first wife Sara. Like his father Moritz also became a physician and opened a medical practice in Berlin. In 1872 he married his cousin Meta Philippson, the eldest daughter of Ludwig and Mathilde Philippson. Moritz and Meta had only one child: Paula. After her husband's death in 1877, Meta and her daughter went to live in Ludwig Philippson's home in Bonn. Paula became a physician and studied in several cities to pursue this goal. She never married and died in Basel, Switzerland in 1949.

Extent

1.75 Linear Feet

Abstract

This collection holds papers of the philosopher Karl Joël and of various members of the Philippson family. Karl Joël's material includes personal and professional correspondence and a considerable amount of his notes, along with newspaper clippings on him and a few articles. Philippson family material largely focuses on Phöbus, Ludwig and Moritz Philippson's family correspondence and writing. Also present are letters of other family members, a few official documents and notes.

Related Material

The LBI Library includes a number of Karl Joël's books. The LBI Archives include a manuscript of his, Weltanschaung und Wahrheit (DM 177) and the Karl Joël Clippings Collection (AR 1800). Some correspondence of Karl Joël's is in the Hans Kohn Collection (AR 259).

Closely related to the papers of Series II is the Ludwig Philippson Family Collection, AR 2679 (available online).

Separated Material

A partial copy of Manuel Joël's Religiös-philosophische Zeitfragen in zusammenhängenden Aufsaetzen without any notations or writings in it was removed from the collection during processing. A complete copy of this work is located in the LBI Library.

Processing Information

In March 2013 the collection was processed in preparation of the EAD finding aid. The previous arrangement was used to create series. Similar materials were brought together to form subseries and folders were organized alphabetically by title within subseries. At this time the collection was also rehoused in four boxes, with oversized material unfolded and separated from the rest of the material.

Title
Guide to the Eugen Kullmann Collection 1828-1949 AR 25439
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Dianne Ritchey and Arthur Rath
Date
© 2013
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English.
Edition statement
This version was derived from EugenKullman.xml

Revision Statements

  • March 31, 2015 : dao links added by Emily Andresini.

Repository Details

Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository

Contact:
15 West 16th Street
New York NY 10011 United States