Draft:Theodor Mayer (historian)

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Theodor Mayer (born August 24, 1883, Neukirchen an der Enknach, Upper Austria, Austria-Hungary; died November 26, 1972, Salzburg) was an Austrian historian and scientific organizer.

Mayer's intellectual pursuits were shaped by the ideology of Pan-Germanism. After serving as an archivist from 1906 to 1923, he assumed the role of a full professor of medieval history at various universities, including Prague (1927-1930), Giessen (1930-1934), Freiburg (1934-1938), and Marburg (1938-1942).

In his early years, he made a name for himself with works on economic and settlement history. His objective was to scientifically prove the supposed cultural superiority of the Germans. As head of the Alemannic Institute, the Baden Historical Commission, and Western Studies, he briefly played an influential role in the South-West German scientific organization in the 1930s. His primary focus was on emphasizing the "German achievements" compared to France.

Mayer resolutely embraced National Socialism. As a prominent figure in medieval studies, he sought to contribute to the intellectual mobilization and demonstrate the relevance of historical research for the nascent European order. Mayer's objective was to develop a European perspective on history that was primarily informed by German historical scholarship. This was intended to provide historical legitimacy for the National Socialist plans for reorganization. Mayer endeavored to establish a German historical institute in occupied Paris with the objective of historically substantiating the superiority of German historical scholarship in Europe. As the head of the so-called "war effort of the humanities" among medieval historians, Mayer regularly organized conferences until the end of the war. As rector in Marburg from 1939 to 1942, he was concerned with the close intertwining of science and war. From 1942, he served as president of the Reich Institute for Older German History (formerly known as Monumenta Germaniae Historica), thus holding the highest office in German-language medieval studies. Concurrently, he was head of the Prussian Historical Institute in Rome. Mayer's prudent decision to evacuate the Monumenta library from Berlin to Pommersfelden in Bavaria during the Second World War laid the foundation for the Monumenta Germaniae Historica (MGH) to be re-established in Munich.

For Mayer, the collapse of the Nazi regime in 1945 signified the conclusion of his university career and the loss of the MGH presidency. Over the subsequent years, he persistently sought reinstatement as president, yet was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, he retained a significant influence as a scientific organizer. In Constance, he established the Constance Working Group for Medieval History (1951-1958 Municipal Institute for Historical Research of the Lake Constance Region), a non-university research institution that continues to be a significant contributor to medieval studies to this day. The circle of highly accomplished academics who gathered around Mayer in Constance was guided by the conviction of developing a "crisis-proof view of history."

Mayer's concept of the Early Medieval Association of persons was a significant contribution to the development of Constitutional history. For decades, his concept of a freedom of the land or royal freedom exerted a significant influence on the West German discussion of constitutional development in the High Middle Ages.