"Ceci n'est pas n hist"#ien" Const# cti"n an$ $ec"nst# cti"n "% Hen#i Pirenne '(LT)R*&R)+)NI)R1 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, &#"%ess"# )-e#it s . /ni0e#siteit Gent The %i#st a-bition "% this a#tic2e is t" %ind out 3hic! t4pe "% p#"%essiona2 app#"ac! and 3hic! %"#- "% socia2ising Henri &i#enne 3as suppose$ t" ha0e const#ucte$ in "#$e# t" bec"-e one "% the 5#eatest scientists "% !is 5ene#ation and a success% 2 societ4 -an. 64 second question is8 di$ !e hi-se2%, "# di$ his c"nte-p"#a#ies, const# ct that ic"n? 1. :IR;T TH);I;8 TH) C<N;TR/CTI<N*<: &IR)NN)*(;*(*&R<6IN)NT HI;T<RI(N*(N= (; TH) ':</N=ING*:(TH)R'*<: TH) GH)NT HI;T<RIC(L*;CH<<L I;*(*&)R:)CT )X(6&L)*<:*(*;/CC);;:/L 6>TH<L<GI;(TI<N The (-e#ican hist"#ian G#a4 B"4ce ?1940, 449-464), %#"- Be#Ce2e4, a student "% &i#enne in t!e 1920s, c"nfe##e$ t!e pate#nit4 "% the G!ent sc!""2 inte#nationa2 1#i22iance in !is st $4 on "The Le5ac4 "% Henri &i#enne" %#"- 1940. In %act he c"##"1"#ate$ a %"#-at and an i-a5e that ha$ been const#ucte$ 14 &i#enne's students and c"22ea5ues in t!e "laudationes" on the occasion o% eac!*"% the*!on"#a#4*-eetings, f#"- 1926 on.2*( st#ong s4-pt"- "% the ai- "% de%ining &i#enne as t!ei# ic"nic %athe# is the c"22ecti0e oat! 14 a22 !is a2 -ni at &i#enne's %une#a2 in 1935 t" prepa#e a 'liber alumnorum' an$ t3" s"2i$*0"2 -es*"% 'hommages' and -e-"#ies3, but, e0en -"#e i-portant24, t" #eDect %i#-24 the e$ition "% a si-i2a# 'liber' %"# t!e-se20es in the % t #e, a decision that -ost "% these a2 -ni indee$ #especte$. Hans +an 'e#0eCe,* !"3e0e#, #e-e-be#e$ in 1@AA that &i#enne's pate#nit4 "% the Ghent sc!""2 3as not the "#i5ina2 c"ncept. In the 1880s it 3as c"--onl4 he2$ opini"n t!at 1. Co#resp"n$ence c"ncernin5 t!is artic2e s!" 2$ 1e a$$resse$ t" 'a2te# &re0enie#8 3a2te#.pre0enie#Fte2enet.1e 2. Mélanges d'histoire offerts à Henri Pirenne (1@2A). 3. In$ee$ p 12is!e$ as8 Études d'histoire dédiées à la mémoire de Henri Pirenne (1@37BG an$ as8 Henri Pirenne, hommages et souvenirs ?1@3EB. BTNG | RBHC, XLI, 2011, 3-4, pp. 553-573 &a 2 :#ede#ic7 ha$ the a-bition t" 1ec"-e the numero uno in G!ent.4 :#ede#ic7 3as indee$ in a positi"n t" c2ai- the status "% c#eat"# "% the Ghent hist"#ica2 sc!""2, since s"-e 4ea#s be%"#e &i#enne, he int#"duce$ the ne3 -et!"$"2"5ies and the %"#-at "% the !ist"#ica2 se-ina#, %i#st in Lie5e, t!en in Ghent, 3hen he ca-e "ve# in 1883. It 3as proba124 :#ede#icq, and not &i#enne, 3!" 3as %i#st in0ite$ 14 Ja#2 La-precht in 1896 t" p#"$ ce a "Hist"#4 "% Be25i -" %"# his Ge#-an c"22ection "% nationa2 !ist"#ies. :#ede#ic7 c2ai-s, in his =ia#4, that he s 55este$ La-precht t" asC &i#enne %"# this !"nou#a12e tasC, and s" it happene$ ?+an 'e#0eCe, 1979, 49, 54G T"22ebeeC, 2008b, 335-336).5 In this case, 2iCe in -an4 othe#s, :#ede#ic7 cede$ !is p#i"#it4 t" his 4ounge# c"22ea5ue. He ce#tainl4 #ea2ise$ that he 2acCe$ the s4nt!etic 'Schwung' &i#enne ha$ t!e #i5ht t" be p#" $ "%. K" T"22ebeeC ?2008a, 152-158) #e0ea2e$ the 1acC5#ounds "% t!is pr"%essi"na2 and ps4c!"2"5ica2 #esi5nation in his -a5ni%icent #ecent 'ant!#op"2"5ica2' ana24sis "% &a 2 :#ede#ic7. :#e$e#ic7 3as innovati0e as a peda5"5ue and a teac!e#, but -isse$ c#eati0it4 and inventi0eness as a 3#ite#. LiCe &i#enne he 3as a net-3"#Ce#, but on a 5e"5#aphica224 2i-ite$ and the-atica224 one-side$ sca2e. &i#enne !a$ e0e#4t!ing t" de0e2op int" a -4t!"2"5ica2 icon. (#ound 1900 acade-ia 0isi124 a22"3e$ a uni0e#sit4 pr"%ess"# t" $e-onst#ate, 3it!" t #isC, a %2a-1"4ant socia2 be!a0i" #, and t" enD"4 c"2" #% 2 and uninhi1ite$ $iscus- sions*3it! %#iends and c"22ea5ues in D"4% 2 Ghent brasseries and c"%%ee!"uses ?L4on, 1974, 289-290, 411B. &i#enne -ade a 5#eat i-p#ession at (22 ;" 2s in <L%"#$ 3hen, a%te# sa0" #ing se0e#a2 52asses "% a st#"ng B#itis! bee#, he 3as sti22 being capa12e "% p#esenting a pe#%ect24 2uci$ and 1#i22iant $isc" #se ?Ibid., 413-414). (pa#t %#"- a si5ni%icant IM, &i#enne de%inite24 disp2a4e$ e7 a224 3e22-de0e2ope$ e-oti"na2 inte22i5ence. He ha$ a ta2ent t" -aCe -"#e %#iends t!an ene-ies. <ne othe# positi0e qua2it4 3as his capa1i2it4 t" ass -e c#itica2 #e-a#Cs %#"- his st dents and c"22ea5ues. +an 'e#0eCe, in his "6e-oi#s" #e-inds &i#enne's #e-a#Ca12e 0a#iant on C2aude Be#na#d's boutade "=N-"2isseO--oi"8 ";i $ans 25 ans -"n 'Hist"ire $e Be25i7 e' est enc"#e $e1" t, c'est 7 e -es N2P0es a #"nt -a2 t#a0ai22N" ?+an 'e#0eCe, 2000, 113B. I pres -e t3" bacC5#ounds %"# his p#"%essiona2 an$ socia2 s ccesses. :i#st, &i#enne's pe#-eabi2it4 %"# a 2a#5e 0a#iet4 "% 'choses de la vie', %"# -an4 4. +an 'e#0eCe's -e-"irs 3ere 3ritten in 1@AA, 1 t p 12is!e$ in 2000 ?+an 'e#0eCe, 2000, 104-105B. 5. It is in %act n"t c"-p2ete24 c2ea# i% t!e in0itati"n %irst 3ent t" &a 2 :re$eric7 "# t" &irenne (T"22e1eeC, 1@@A, 40E). H554I '. &R)+)NI)R c 2t #es and 2angua5es. &i#enne 3as not a sing2e--inde$ p#"%essiona2. In his Apologie pour l'histoire 6a#c B2"c! ?3#itten in 1941B #eca22s the anec$"te that, a%te# t!e inte#nationa2 hist"#ica2 cong#ess "% 1928 in <s2o, he -a$e a t#ip t" ;tocC!"2- 3it! &i#enne. 'a2Cing in the st#eets "% ;tocC!"2-, he asCe$ &i#enne "Mu'a22ons-nous*0oi# d'a1"#$9". T!e ans3e#*3as8 "I2 pa#aQt 7 'i2 4 a n HRte2 $e +ille t" t ne %. C"--enS"ns pa# 2 i". B2oc! s!"3ing s"-e astonis!-ent, &i#enne adde$ that he 3as not an antiqua#ian, 1 t a !ist"#ian8 "C'est pour7 oi D'ai-e 2a 0ie".A The second %act"# is t!e !"-e--ade t"2e#ance 3ithin &i#enne's %a-i2ia2 1iot"pe. He 3as the s"n "% a business-an, a c2"t! -anufact #e# %#"- +e#0ie#s, 3!" 3as a2s" a %#ee-ason "% &#"testant descent, and acti0e on t!e 2"ca2 sca2e in the 2i1e#a2 pa#t4 ?L4on, 1974, 5-25). His -othe# ca-e %#"- a pi" s, conse#0ati0e- cat!"2ic bacC5#ound. In a soci"2"5ica2 pe#specti0e, this $" 12e t#acC 1#" 5ht &i#enne int" an int#i5uing pl #a2istic nic!e. (t the /ni0e#sit4 "% LiP5e it 5a0e hi- the a1i2it4 to s!"3 e-pat!4*%"# t!e c2asses*"% the 0e#4 cat!"2ic G"$e%#oi$ J #th, 3it! a Ge#-an-speaCing bacC5#ound, as 3e22 as %"# those "% the 2i1e#a2, -ode#ate :2e-is! acti0ist &a 2 :#ede#icq. It is 14 the support "% the cat!"2ic J #t! that the '2ibe#a2' 4oung 5#aduate &i#enne c" 2$ be appointe$ at the /ni0e#sit4 "% LiP5e in 1885, and at the /ni0e#sit4 "% Ghent in 1886. The 2on5standing %#iends!ip 3it! :#ede#ic7 in G!ent and in the Ge#-an ca-ps, $ #ing '"#2$ 'a# I, -a4 explain &i#enne's t"2e#ance "% the :2e-is! e-anci- pation -"0e-ent. In the 1920s &i#enne s3itc!ed, inf2 ence$ 14 his 2ess t"2e#ant son, t" a 2esse# unde#standing, pa#tic 2a#24 on the p2ans %"# '=utc!4%4ing' the Ghent alma mater, 1 t in those $a4s :#ede#ic7 3as no 2on5e# a2i0e.7** 'e s!" 2$ not unde#esti-ate t!e Cnow2e$5e "% 2angua5es as a Ce4 %"# a success% 2 ca#ee#. In the case "% &i#enne it 2ea$ t" inte#est in %"#ei5n c 2t #es, and t" #ea$iness t" 2ea0e LiP5e %"# post5#aduates in :#ance as 3e22 as in Ge#-any. The Cnow2e$5e "% Ge#-an a22"3e$ !i- t" de0e2op a $i#ect dia- 2"5ue 3it! p#"-inent Ge#-an sc!"2a#s, suc! as ec"nomic !ist"#ians (2%ons =opsc! and Gusta0 ;c!-"22e#, and 0e#4 intense24 3it! Ja#2 La-precht, a %#iend %"# -any 4ea#s. It 5a0e hi- a chance t" #ea$ 6aL 'ebe# in the "#i5ina2 and t" 1ec"-e, at 2east 1e%"#e 1914, one "% the -ost pr"-inent 6. ;ee Bl"c! ?1@5@, 13B (t!e 7 "te is se$ t" i22 strate t!e c!apte#8 "Co-pren$#e 2e passN pa# 2e present"). B2"c! - st !a0e 1een !i5!24 i-presse$ 14 t!e ;t"cC!"2- trip, %"# 3!ic! !e t!anCs &i#enne in a 2ette# "% ( 5 st 30, 1@2E ?L4"n T L4"n, 1@@1, 105-10AB.