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Thesen zur Preußischen Wissenschaftspolitik gegen Ende des Wilhelminischen Zeitalters
Author(s) -
Rasch Manfred
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
berichte zur wissenschaftsgeschichte
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.109
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 1522-2365
pISSN - 0170-6233
DOI - 10.1002/bewi.19890120407
Subject(s) - promotion (chess) , christian ministry , administration (probate law) , the arts , political science , government (linguistics) , public administration , german , state (computer science) , library science , management , law , history , politics , economics , philosophy , linguistics , archaeology , algorithm , computer science
Prussian science during the second half of the Wilhelminian Age was confronted with the problem that research in the natural sciences was increasing substantially while at the same time state finances were at a low ebb. In order to finance new academic disciplines and to help German science gain and retain international recognition, the Ministry of Education and the Arts renounced the monopoly it had held so far in the almost exclusively government – supported promotion of science. The novel course adopted by the Prussian Ministry of Education and the Arts, especially by its members Friedrich Althoff and Friedrich Schmidt‐Ott, can most adequately be described as “promotion of the sciences under the control of local authorities” and “central administration of private contributions and donations for scientific purposes”. “Promotion of the sciences under the control of local authorities” signifies the foundation of research institutes and universities, which had taken place under municipal government auspices since the turn of the century. For the purpose of “central administration of private contributions and donations” and channeling these financial means into select projects, the Prussian Ministry of Education and the Arts initiated the foundation of the Kaiser Wilhelm‐Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften .