Gerd Althoff (born 9 July 1943) is a German historian of the Early and High Middle Ages. He presents himself (in words used as part of the title of one of his many books) as a researcher into the "political rules of the game" in the Middle Ages. He has held professorships at Münster (1986–1990 and 1997–2011), Gießen (1990–1995) and Bonn (1995–1997).
The fruits of Althoff's pioneering research on the Ottonian period have been enriched by collaboration with his fellow medievalist at Münster, Hagen Keller. Together they have, in the eyes of admirers, significantly raised the status of the University of Münster as a centre for the study of medieval history. Althoff's own research on the operation of medieval statehood, medieval forms of public communication, the connections binding different groups together and the means of conflict resolution applied, have since the 1980s exercised a significant influence on German and international "Mediävistics" and driven important re-evaluations of Early and High Medieval kingship.
Life
Gerd Althoff was born in Hamburg during the Second World War, and grew up in the Münsterland region near the Dutch border. He attended the "Amtsgymnasium" (secondary school) in Ibbenbüren until 1963. Between 1965 and 1970 he studied Germanistics at Münster and Heidelberg. The switch to History was triggered by Althoff's involvement in the "68 movement" and the need, cited by many West Germans of his generation, to confront recent history and the Hitler nightmare in which most Germans of the older generation - albeit with wildly varying levels of enthusiasm and commitment - were believed by the young people to have participated. He launched his academic career at Münster by assisting the medievalist Karl Schmid on the latter's "Personen und Gemeinschaften" (loosely, "individuals and society") project, which was part of a broader Medieval Research programme at the university. His first piece of published research concerned a list of monks at the old monastery at Prüm that is included in Prüm's Carolingian "Liber aureus". The piece appeared in 1973 as a contribution to the academic journal Frühmittelalterliche Studien. He received his doctorate (post-graduate degree) a year later in return for a piece of work on the Necrology of the Convent at Borghorst. The degree was awarded by the University of Münster and the work was supervised by Karl Schmid who, a little earlier had been offered and accepted a teaching chair at Freiburg, far to the south. Althoff followed him, remaining at Freiburg as a research assistant for the next six years.
It was at Freiburg that in 1981 Althoff received his habilitation (higher degree). His dissertation on this occasion was based on research into the Billung and Ottonian dynasties: it was published in 1984, entitled "Adels- und Königsfamilien im Spiegel ihrer Memorialüberlieferung ..." (loosely, "Nobility and royalty through the mirror of their memorialised traditions ..."). In Germany a habilitation normally represented the opening to a life-long career in university-level research and teaching. In 1986 Gerd Althoff accepted his first professorial appointment, succeeding Peter Johanek as Professor for Medieval History at the University of Münster. He moved again in 1990 when he took over the teaching chair in Medieval and Modern History at Gießen in succession to Carlrichard Brühl. There, between 1991 and 1995, he was co-instigator and then supervisor of the graduate school of "Medieval and Modern Statehood". He also served in 1992 as managing director of the university's Historical Institute and during 1993/94 as Dean of the History Faculty. However, in 1995 Althoff accepted an invitation to transfer to the University of Bonn. At Bonn he was again appointed to a professorship in Medieval and Modern History, this time in succession to Rudolf Schieffer who had moved to Munich. He delivered his inaugural lecture in December 1995 on the topic of "Outrage, tears and contrition: Emotion in the public communication of the Middle Ages". The theme was one to which he would return. In 1996 Gerd Althoff was appointed managing director of Bonn's "Historical Seminar" (department). He nevertheless accepted the opportunity presented by the retirement in 1996 of Joachim Wollasch to return to Münster in 1997 as Professor for Medieval History. He gave his inaugural lecture on the importance of "symbolic communication" for understanding the Middle Ages. During 1998/99 he served as managing director at Münster's "Historical Seminar" (department). He retired from his full-time posts at the University of Münster on 4 July 2011. His farewell lecture, which was also published in Frühmittelalterliche Studien, concerned "Monarch in the High Middle Ages".