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Eine Brücke Über Die Senckenberganlage Adorno Und Die Universität Frankfurt

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Eine Brücke Über Die Senckenberganlage Adorno Und Die Universität Frankfurt Forschung aktuell Eine Brücke über die Senckenberganlage Adorno und die Universität Frankfurt Weltkrieg, als in den philosophischen Die Philosophische Fakultät pro- Disziplinen, in Psychologie und So- movierte den Kandidaten wenige ziologie, eine intellektuelle Avant- Tage nach Abgabe der Dissertation garde sich zusammenfand.« /1/ und urteilte über den Verlauf der Prüfung kurz und bündig: »vorzüg- Promotion in Rekordzeit – lich«. Adorno bemerkte zu dem »Zeitmangel und Examens- Promotionsverfahren: »Cornelius zwang« hat meine Arbeit anstandslos und Mit einer Doktorarbeit beim Neu- ohne die Änderung eines Wortes zu kantianer Hans Cornelius schloss verlangen angenommen und der Adorno sein Studium in Frankfurt Korreferent Schumann hat sich sei- ab. Innerhalb weniger Wochen fer- nem Referat angeschlossen.« /3/ tigte er seine Dissertation an. Ador- Nach der Erlangung des höchsten no schreibt über diese Zeit an seinen akademischen Grades setzte Adorno Freund Leo Löwenthal:»Mein lieber für zwei Jahre seine philosophi- Leo! Verzeih mir, dass ich Dir heut schen und musikalischen Studien in erst schreibe und auch diesmal nur Wien fort. Er studierte bei Alban kurz; es ist nicht die Unfähigkeit zum Berg Komposition und Eduard Schreiben – wäre ich frei genug, Dir Steuermann Klavier. Zugleich war zu schreiben, was ich Dir zu schrei- er als Schriftleiter der Wiener Mu- ben habe – sondern bloß purer Zeit- sikzeitschrift »Anbruch« tätig. Theodor Wiesen- heodor W. Adorno zählte zu den grund, hoch be- Tbedeutendsten Gelehrten der gabter Sohn aus Bundesrepublik. Er ist einer der dem Frankfurter Gründer der »Frankfurter Schule«. Bürgertum, kam an der jungen Uni- Sein wissenschaftlicher Werdegang versität seiner ist eng mit der Universität Frankfurt Heimatstadt mit verknüpft: Adorno studierte, pro- der intellektuellen movierte und habilitierte sich in Avantgarde in Frankfurt. Anfang der 1950er Jahre Kontakt, die sein kehrte er nach seiner Emigration an späteres Denken das wiedereröffnete Institut für So- entscheidend prä- gen sollte. zialforschung zurück und erhielt an der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Uni- versität die Professur für Philoso- phie und Soziologie. Adornos Einfluss erstreckte sich von der Musik- bis zur Gesellschafts- kritik. Zusammen mit Max Horkhei- mer schrieb er den wichtigsten Text der Kritischen Theorie, die »Dialek- Als Theodor W. Adorno aus der Emigration nach Frankfurt zurückkam und eine Pro- tik der Aufklärung« (1944, Druck fessur an seiner alten Universität übernahm, die ihn 1933 vertrieben hatte, wurden Amsterdam 1947). Das Buch gilt als seine Vorlesungen zu Massen-Ereignissen. »Adornit« zu sein, gehörte zum intellektu- eines der klassischen Werke der Phi- ellen guten Ton. losophie des 20. Jahrhunderts. Am 18. April 1921 immatrikulier- mangel und Examenszwang, der Mit der Habilitation hatte es te sich der gebürtige Frankfurter mich jetzt noch stillegt. Ich will Dir Adorno nicht so eilig wie mit seiner Theodor Ludwig Wiesengrund an die äußeren Daten des Halbjahres Promotion. Seinen ersten Habilitati- der Universität Frankfurt am Main. berichten. Die zweite Aprilhälfte war onsversuch brach er ab, weil seine Er wählte ein Studium an der Philo- ich in Ammerbach, in einem Trubel Zulassungsschrift »Der Begriff des sophischen Fakultät und besuchte von Menschen und arbeitete Hus- Unbewußten in der transzendenta- Veranstaltungen in Philosophie, Mu- serl. Mitte Mai [1924] disponierte len Seelenlehre« /4/ von seinem aka- sikwissenschaft, Psychologie und So- ich meine Dissertation und trug am demischen Lehrer Cornelius abge- ziologie. »Sein Studium«, so erin- 26. den Gedankengang Cornelius lehnt wurde. Hans Cornelius hatte nerte sich Max Horkheimer, »fiel in vor, der die Arbeit annahm. Am sich am 8. Januar 1928 gegenüber die gute Zeit der Frankfurter Univer- 6. Juni war die Arbeit fertig, am 11. der Fakultät negativ über Adornos sität nach der Niederlage im Ersten diktiert, am 14. abgegeben.« /2/ Habilitationsschrift geäußert: »Ich 48 Forschung Frankfurt 3–4/2003 Forschung aktuell Theodor Wiesengrund immatrikulierte Die Eingangshalle des alten Instituts für Sozialforschung, vom Erdgeschoß bis zum sich am 18. April 1921 an der Univer- ersten Obergeschoss durchgehend. In dem Institut waren auch Räume der Wirt- sität Frankfurt für das Fach Philosophie. schafts- und Sozialwissenschaftlichen Fakultät untergebracht. Das Gebäude spiegel- te im Inneren die sachliche Zweckmäßigkeit wider, die an seiner Außenfassade zum Ausdruck kommt. Das alte Institut für Sozialforschung von der Bockenheimer Landstraße aus gese- hen. Den Anstoß zur Gründung des Insti- tuts gab 1922 Kurt Albert Gerlach, Pro- fessor der Staatswissenschaften an der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftli- chen Fakultät. Das Institut konnte am 22.Juni 1924 eröffnet werden. Der Ar- chitekt des Gebäudes war Franz Röckle (1879 – 1953), der auch die Westend- synagoge in den Jahren 1908 bis 1910 bauen ließ. muss also beantragen, dass Herrn auf. Am 6. Februar 1931 tagte die dort den ersten massiven antisemiti- Wiesengrund der Rat erteilt werde, Habilitationskommission, bestehend schen Attacken ausgesetzt war, we- sein Gesuch zurückzuziehen, da sei- aus Paul Tillich, Franz Schultz, Max gen seiner »nichtarischen Abstam- ne Arbeit in der vorliegenden Form Horkheimer und Karl Reinhardt. mung« die Lehrbefugnis von den wenigstens den zu stellenden An- Zehn Tage später fiel der Beschluss, Nationalsozialisten entzogen. Er forderungen nicht entspricht.« /5/ Adorno zur Habilitation zuzulas- verließ Deutschland und ging nach sen/6/. Nach seinem Probevortrag Oxford, wo er seine wissenschaftli- Der zweite Anlauf für über »Kants Kritik der rationalen che Arbeit am Marton College fort- die Habilitation Psychologie« und anschließendem setzte. Ende der 1930er Jahre wech- Dreieinhalb Jahre später unternahm Kolloquium erteilte ihm die Philo- selte Adorno mit seiner Frau dann Adorno einen zweiten Anlauf, sich sophische Fakultät die venia legendi nach Amerika. Er arbeitete an dem in Frankfurt zu habilitieren. Seine für das Fach Philosophie /7/. von Frankfurt nach New York ver- Schrift »Kierkegaard. Konstruktion Im September 1933 wurde Ador- legten Institut für Sozialforschung des Ästhetischen« (Druck: Tübingen no, der katholisch getauft, aber im und als musikalischer Direktor des 1933) nahmen die Professoren der Gymnasium am protestantischen Princeton Radio Research Projekts. Philosophischen Fakultät positiv Religionsunterricht teilnahm und In Amerika wurde die Zusammen- Forschung Frankfurt 3–4/2003 49 Forschung aktuell unseren Studenten zu entfalten, unbekümmert um das statistische Ausmaß seiner Möglichkeiten«, wie Horkheimer es formulierte /10/. Be- reits im Wintersemester 1949/50 lehrte Adorno wieder an der Jo- hann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität. Über ein Drittel arbeit und Freundschaft mit Max genüber der Universität Frank- Er vertrat die Professur für Sozial- der Dozenten der Horkheimer, den er aus Frankfurt furt /8/ . philosophie, nach der Rückkehr Universität wurde kannte, enger. Nach dem Ende des Dritten Horkheimers aus dem Exil über- aufgrund des Ge- Reichs, im März 1947, fasste die nahm Adorno zunächst kommissa- setzes zur Wieder- Aus Theodor Wiesengrund Philosophische Fakultät den Be- risch die Philosophie-Professur, bis herstellung des wurde Theodore Adorno Berufsbeamten- schluss, Horkheimer und Adorno er schließlich 1953 zum Professor tums vom 7. April Theodor Wiesengrund erwarb die nach Frankfurt zurückzuholen und für Philosophie und Soziologie er- 1933 von den Na- amerikanische Staatsangehörigkeit damit zu rehabilitieren/9/. Der De- nannt wurde. tionalsozialisten und änderte seinen Namen in Ador- kan der Philosophischen Fakultät, Gemeinsam mit Horkheimer die Lehrbefugnis no um: »Sehr verehrtes gnädiges Otto Vossler, unterbreitete Adorno kümmerte sich Adorno um die Wie- entzogen. Auszug Fräulein, unter Bestätigung unseres dann das Angebot der Universität, dereröffnung des Instituts für Sozial- aus dem Personal- Telephonats möchte ich Ihnen mit- in seine Geburtsstadt zurückzukom- forschung in Frankfurt. Da das alte verzeichnis der Universität Frank- teilen, dass ich bei meiner amerika- men. Adorno beriet sich mit Hork- Gebäude des Instituts im Krieg zer- furt, Wintersemes- nischen Naturalisation im Jahre heimer. Beide fassten den Ent- stört worden war, begannen im No- ter 1933/34, mit 1943 meinen Namen in Adorno schluss, nach Deutschland zu reim- vember 1950 die Bauarbeiten zu ei- handschriftlichen (den Mädchennamen meiner Mut- migrieren, um an der Erziehung ei- nem Neubau in der Senckenbergan- Vermerken des ter) geändert habe und bitte, mich ner neuen Generation mitzuwirken lage 26. Nach einer Bauzeit von nur Universitätssekre- in amtlichen Dokumenten lediglich und »entgegen dem Zug der ver- einem Jahr konnte das neue Ge- tariats: »Lehrbe- als Adorno zu führen«, kommen- walteten Welt, wie Adorno sie tauf- bäude des Instituts für Sozialfor- fugnis entzogen«. tierte er seine Namensänderung ge- te, den autonomen Gedanken in schung bezogen werden. Straßenüberquerung Adorno nahm 1943 die amerikanische »Studenten, unmittelbar Staatsbürgerschaft mit dem Tod bedroht...« an. Aus Theodor Im Frankfurter Universitätsarchiv Wiesengrund wur- hat sich ein Vorgang erhalten, der de Theodore Adorno. Nach sei- dokumentiert, dass Adorno um das ner Rückkehr aus Wohl seiner Studenten besorgt war. Amerika an das Am 12. Mai 1958 schrieb er an den wiedergegründete Rektor der Universität: »Der Ver- Frankfurter Institut kehr auf der Senckenberganlage für Sozialfor- macht es den zahlreichen Angehöri- schung machte er gen der
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