Pirenne and Fredericq Historiographical Ambitions Around 1900
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Pirenne and Frederic Hi!"#ri#$rap%ica& am(i"i#n! ar#)nd 1900 *+ T+LL,B,,-1 ................................ Pr#/e!!#r #/ Cu&")ra& Hi!"#ry 1 2ni3ersi"0 #/ Le)3en Henri Pirenne and Pa)& Frederic 4ere 3er0 c&#!e acquaintance! /#r /or"0 0ear!.2 T%e "4# 'en'! acade'ic career! !"ar"ed a" 3ir"ua&&0 "he !a'e "i'e. 7/"er a career a! a "eac%er, a" "%e a$e #/ 8)!" 29, Frederic $ained %i! appoin"'ent in 1879 a! e:"raordinar0 pr#/e!!#r ;and a! ordinar0 pr#/e!!#r /r#' 1882) a" "he uni3er!i"0 #/ Li=$e, 4here %i! d)"ie! inc&uded "eac%ing >)"c% &i"era")re, conte'porar0 hi!"#r0 and "he hi!"#r0 #/ Be&$i)' and 4here he 8oined hi! #&d /riend /r#' !"udent da0!, Gode/r#id -)r"%.3 7'on$ %i! !"udent! 4a! Pirenne, hi! 8unior (0 12 0ear!, 4%# had arri3ed in Li=$e in 1880.4 In 1883, Frederic recei3ed an appoint'ent in Ghent, a$ain /or a c#'bina"ion #/ &i"erar0-hi!"orica& and hi!"#rica& !)(8ec"!.? Pirenne5! career !"ar"ed another "4#60ear!6&a"er in Li=$e, where he64a! entr)!"ed wi"%6"eaching pa&ae#$raphy and dipl#'a"ic! in 1885. 7 0ear &a"er, he 8oined Frederic in Ghent, /ir!" a! an e:"raordinar0 pr#/e!!or, "%en a! an ordinar0 pr#/e!!#r /r#' 1889. T%i! occ)rred 4i"% Frederic 5! !uppor", a&"%#)$% i" 4a! a&!# acc#'pa- nied (0 a di!pu"e be"4een "he "4# re$arding "he di3i!ion #/ "eac%ing dutie! ;L0on, 1974, 71-78). T%)! in "he !pace #/ bare&0 ei$%" 0ear!, be"4een 1879 and61886, bo"h Fredericq and Pirenne6%ad gained a c#3e"ed uni3er!i"0 pos", in (#"h ca!e!6/ir!" in Li=$e and then in G%ent. For 'ore "han "%ree decade!, Frederic and Pirenne 4ere "hen "# re'ain eac% #"her5! collegae proximi. In "he !'a&& acade'ic c#''uni"0 "ha" 4a! "he uni3er!i"0 #/ Ghen" a" "%a" "i'e, "he0 &ed an order&0 exi!"ence, "eaching, enga$ing in re!earc%, pu(&i!hing and a""endin$ $a"hering!. The0 4ere #n /riend&0 "er'!. T%e0 4#)&d dine a" eac% #"her5! %#)!e 4hen /orei$n 1. Corre!p#ndence c#ncernin$ "%i! artic&e !%#)&d (e addre!!ed "# *# T#&&e(eeAB 8#."#&&e(eeACart!.A)&e)3en.(e 2. F#r (i#$rap%ica& da"a #n Pirenne, !ee L0#n ;1994< and "%e p#r"rai"! #/ B. ,(e&!-H#3in$ (1981< and B##ne ;200@<. F#r (i#$rap%ica& da"a #n Frederic , !ee Coppen! ;1990<D /#r a !%#rt #3ervie4, !ee C#ppen! (1994, 29@-30?<. 3. F#r "%e pr#/e!!#rs%ip #/ Frederic in Li=$e, !ee Eander Linden ;193@, 319-319<. +n -)rt%, !ee GFrin (200?, 212-219<. 4. +n Pirenne5! peri#d in Li=$e, !ee Ha&Ain ;198@, 13-22). 5. F#r "%e pr#/e!!#rs%ip #/ Frederic in G%en", !ee en"r0 GPa)& Frederic G inB Université de Gand. Liber memorialis. Notices biographiques ;3#&. 1 Fac)&"F de P%i&#!#p%ie e" Le""re!1 Fac)&"F de >r#i"< (1913, 199-208<. BTNG | RBHC, XLI, 2011, 3-4, pp. 383-409 c#&&ea$ue! 4ere 3i!i"in$ ;/or e:a'ple in 7pri& 1908B G>inner a" Pirenne5! %#)!e 4i"% Pr#/. H)0Jinga H!icI /r#' Groningen. Koung, 'ode!", quie" 'an, 4%# !peaA! Frenc% 3er0 !&0 and c#rrec"&0G@< or 4#)&d "ra3e& "#$e"her 4hen "%e po!!i(i&i"0 ar#!e ;/#r exa'ple in *)&0 1909B GTrip 4i"% Pirenne "# H)&!" in Zee)4! E&aanderen. (M< Fa!cina"ing&06(&inkeredG9<. The Grea" Nar pu" an end "# "%i! exi!"ence. B)" "he /a"e "%a" be/e&& Frederic and Pirenne onl0 !er3ed "# reinforce "heir inv#&3e'ent 4i"% eac% #"%erB in Oarc% 1916, "%e "4# pr#/e!!or! 4ere i'pri!oned and depor"ed "# Ger'any beca)!e #/ "heir opposi"ion "# "he re/or' #/ "%e uni3er!i"0 (0 "%e Ger'an occupier!. Frederic ended up in "%e ca'p in GP"er!&oh, 4%i&e Pirenne ini"ia&&0 4ent "# "he #//icer!5 ca'p in -re/e&d, and !)(!equen"&0 "# H#&J'inden. The "4# 4ere reuni"ed 1 )nder !uper3i!ion 1 in "he !'a&& uni- 3er!i"0 ci"0 #/ *ena, a/"er 4%ic% "%e0 4ere !epara"ed once a$ain: Frederic 4a! a!!i$ned BPr$e& a! %i! #(&i$a"or0 p&ace #/ re!idence,64%i&e Pirenne 4a! "aAen "# -re)Jbur$ in Thuringia. B#"% 'en re'ained in exi&e un"i& "%e end #/ "he 4ar. B0 "he "i'e "he0 re")rned "# &ibera"ed Be&$i)', Frederic did no" ha3e 'uc%6&onger6"# &i3e. T%i! &eng"%0 period #/ "%eir &i3e! "ha" had been !hared &ed "%e "4# %i!"ori- ans "# c#''en" on eac% #"her in occa!iona& publica"ions. In 1912, Frederic public&0 "e!"i/ied "# hi! ad'ira"ion /or hi! c#&&ea$ue.8 In 1924, Pirenne 4r#"e a de"ai&ed obi"uar0 #/ Frederic /#r "he Annuaire #/ "he R#0a& 7cade'0 ;Pirenne, 1924, 311-374). B)" "here 4a! no pr#/ound di!c)!!ion be"4een "%e "4# during "%e!e &#ng 0ear!. Inte&&ec")a& di!pute! 4ere n#" enga$ed in, de!pi"e "he phi&#!ophica& di//erence! be"4een "%e'. In 1876, Frederic had con3er"ed "# Pr#"e!"an"i!', 4hic% %e re$arded a! !)perior "# Ca"%#&ici!'.6 T%i! had &ed %i' "# a""ac% $rea" i'por"ance "# re&i$i#n 1 #r "# 5'ora& /ac"!5 1 in "he explana"ion #/ hi!"#rica& pr#ce!!e!. B0 contra!", Pirenne a""ached &i""&e i'por"ance "# !uc% /ac"or!. In order "# under!"and "%e cour!e #/ hi!"#rica& de3e&opment in, /or e:a'ple, hi! !"udie! #/ ur(an hi!"or0, he &##Aed "# eco- nomic and !ocia& /ac"#r!. There 4a! no open di!c)!!ion #/ "%e!e di3er$ent 3ie4!6#/6;hi!"#rica&< rea&i"0. Nor did "he "4# di!c)!! poli"ic!. Frederic and Pirenne !hared a &ibera&i!' 4hic% c#)&d a!!)'e 'arkedl0 anti-c&erica& /#r'!. The0 4ere prepared "# 6. G%en", 2ni3ersi"0 Li(rar0, >epart'en" #/ Oan)!crip"! and Ea&)a(&e N#rA!B Archief Paul Fredericq Ha((re3ia"ed %ence/#rt% a!B Archief FredericqI, O!. 3904Q2@B Aantekeningen over mi n leven, n#"e #/ 23 7pri& 1908. +n Pirenne and H)iJin$a, !ee, /#r in!"ance, B##ne ;2008(, 29-?1<. 7. Archief Fredericq, O!.3904Q28B n#"e #/ 21*)&0 1909. Ree "%e 'a"eria& inB Archief Fredericq, O!. 3909B !eisaantekeningen. 8. "anifestation en l#honneur de ". le professeur $enri Pirenne. %ruxelles &' mai &(&' (1912, pp. 11-18<. H384I *. T+LL,B,,- enga$e in con/&ic" Gon "he $round" 4i"% "%e Ca"%#&ic a)"hori"ie!, and 4ere capa(&e #/ doing !# "#$e"herB in >ece'ber 1898, /or exa'ple, "he0 co- a)"%#red a G(i&& #/ indic"'ent!G a$ain!" "he Gine:c)!a(&eG pre/er'ent #/ Ca"%#&ic candida"e! /#r po!"! in !ec#ndar0 educa"ion.9 B)" "%ere 4ere a&!# /unda'enta& poli"ica& di//erence! be"4een "he "4o. Frederic 4a! inv#&3ed in "he F&e'i!% O#3e'ent a&& hi! &i/e. Hi! 'i&i"an" F&e'i!% �a&i!' re!)&"ed a'on$ #"her "hing! in "he !"r)$$&e /or "%e )!e #/ "he >)"c% &angua$e a" "he uni3er!i"0 #/ Ghent and in "he pu(&ica"i#n 1 be"4een 1906 and 1909 1 #/ an e:"en!i3e chronic&e #/ "%e O#3e'ent.10 Pirenne 4a! cer"ainl0 no" "he 3ehe'ent pr#-Frenc% F&e'ing ;franskil on< %e i! !#'e"i'e! "aAen /or, ()" any /or' #/ F&e'i!% �a&i!' 4a! a&ien "# "he 'an 4%# in %i! 4orA 4a! "he interpre"er #/ "he ne4 Be&$ian na"iona&i!' #/ "%e &a"e 19"% cen"ur0.11 Frederic 4#)&d c#'plain now and "%en a(#)" "he Gan"i-F&e'i!% and a)"%#ri"arian a""i")de!G #/ hi! c#&&ea$ue, ()" "here 4a! no pr#/#und deba"e be"4een t%e' in thi! area ei"%er.12 T%i! &acA #/ inte&&ec")a& and poli"ica& de(a"e ha! &e/" &a"er c#''enta"#r! #n "he re&a"ions%ip be"4een Frederic and Pirenne a&'#!" #(&i$ed "# c#nfine "he'!e&3e!6"# "he6(i#$raphica& e:"erna&!. N#"6"ha"6'uch ha! been publi!hed in "hi! areaB apar" /r#' "he double bi#$raphy, /)&& #/ 'i!placed /&a""er0, "ha" Eic"#r Fri! ;1919) 4r#"e a(#)" hi! "4# Ghen" "eacher!, onl0 Frederic 5! bi#$rapher! ha3e de3#"ed a /e4 !0!"e'a"ica&&0 or$ani!ed pa$e! "# "%e !)(8ec" ;Coppen!, 1990, 167-199D Ean Ner3eAe 1979b, 49-??<.13 In "hi! ar"ic&e 4e !ha&& "here/ore a""e'pt "# $# a !"ep /ur"herB 4e !%a&& consider Pirenne and Frederic 1 on a c#'para"i3e ba!i! 1 a! "he per!oni/ica"ion #/ "he ne4 hi!"ori#$raphica& a'(i"ions64hic%64ere6"aAing6%#&d around 1900. In doing6!o, 4e !ha&& dra4 a'#ng #"%er !#)rce! on Frederic 5! de"ai&ed, unpubli!hed diar0, Aantekeningen over mi n leven HN#"e! on m06&i/eI ;T#&&e(eeA, 2008c<.