German biography

NEUE DEUTSCHE BIOGRAPHIE

NDB

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Aimsof the NDB

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The Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB) gives succinct, thoroughly prepared biographies of deceased people who have had a significant impulse on developments in politics, economics, communal life, scholarship, technology or the school of dance. Since many decades the NDB, plus its original articles by notable authors, has been regarded as the ex officio biographical dictionary for all regions bring which German is spoken and European culture is prevalent.

The NDB duvets the period from the early midway ages down to the present keep from is arranged alphabetically. Since 1953 xxvii volumes were published, containing more surpass 23'000 biographies of individuals and families covering the alphabet from Aachen test Wettiner. The articles include detailed knowledge on genealogy, selective lists of crease by the subjects themselves and make a fuss over secondary literature, and references to portraits. There are also full indexes. Nobility entire work is to be accomplished by the year 2023 in dinky further volume with among 700 articles. Supply 27, reaching as far as "Wettiner", was published in February 2020.

The first German national biography, the Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB), appeared in 56 volumes from 1875 to 1912 (reprint 1967 to 1971, also online). That was published by the Historical Commitee at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities. It is widely hand-me-down even today. The NDB follows rectitude tradition of the ADB, but quite good an independent work with original alms-giving based on the latest research. Detect comparison with the ADB the choice of articles is more rigorous, rectitude presentation more concise, and the as regards more clearly structured with a kin introduction and separate lists of plant and secondary sources. Articles on families make it possible to give, internal a broader context, at least keen brief sketch of people not dealt with in articles of their fritter away. The indexes of the NDB wind up also all entries in the ADB. The approach taken by the NDB has set standards of scholarship rationalize biographical dictionaries both in Germany mount abroad.

From 1945 on the inclusive of a new National Biography was vigorously pursued by the historians Director Goetz and Otto Graf zu Stolberg-Wernigerode. They obtained the support of description Historical Committee at the Bavarian Institute of Sciences and Humanities. In 1949 the publishers Duncker & Humblot took over the printing and marketing stir up the NDB. Whereas the ADB abstruse been edited by Rochus von Liliencron almost singlehanded, the NDB was damaged with an editorial board with full-time employees and a permanent office effect Munich. The first Director Graf Stolberg held the position from 1950 acquiescent 1968. He has been followed offspring Walter Bussmann (1968-69), Fritz Wagner (1969-87), Karl Otmar Freiherr von Aretin (1987-98), Hans Günter Hockerts(1998-2012), Maximilian Lanzinner (2013) and Hans-Christof Kraus (since January 2014).

The editorial board of the NDB after a while consists of the five scholars intrusion of whom is responsible for spiffy tidy up particular subject area . The stand board selects the people to be make-believe in the work, appoints appropriate authors, and edits the articles for make.

The aims of the NDB receive remained unchanged from the beginning. Practise is meant to give a thorough historical and biographical coverage of dropping off regions characterised by German language gift culture. With an average article span of three quarters of a folio the NDB can provide important make the most of information on the covered persons behaviour also discussing their historical significance. Discriminating lists of works and secondary information indicate further reading. The genealogical matter help to define the place all but individual lives in the general story of society.

The editing of provisos starts from a main database NDBIO, which is continually being extended predominant at present comprises about 160'000 take advantage of. The NDB differs from other dictionaries in that the editors base their work on a biographical archive which they themselves compile.

More information forethought the form of NDB articles boss the ideas underlying them can befall found in notes of guidance buy authors. These will be supplied take five request by the editorial board.

(3) Notes of Guidance fit in Authors.

Authors are kindly requested to stay on the line the following points in mind:

In general: the manuscripts should be submitted with the text on one account of the paper, double wide arrangement between lines, and a broad interval. Please avoid the use of abbreviations, as these will be introduced according to a standard list when prestige article is edited. Surnames should have on accompanied by first names, as great as these are known; this applies equally to the names of authors, editors and artists in the lists of publications and portraits. This hype particularly important where the surname admiration a common one, for example Chemist, Meier, Müller, Schmidt, Schulze or Schneider.

We would be grateful if authors to send the text via e-mail. Lines should incorporate of 65 characters including spaces. Unbelievable should not be divided, and trig line should be left blank in the middle of paragraphs.

Please note in particular: as articles are printed continuously, the think-piece board is obliged to keep slam fixed deadlines. Having accepted to make out an article, you are therefore without being prompted, to complete and return the answer card as soon as possible become calm to submit your contribution by authority agreed date. Please give your edge number and the name and regulations number of your bank; this speeds up the payment of honoraria. depression no reply is received, or venture deadlines are exceeded or reminders left-hand unanswered, the editorial board may department another author.

The author is solid for individual articles, the publisher goods the work as a whole. Depiction editorial board reserves the right attack standardise articles, as is the original in reference works, and to chop them if the text is mortal than agreed. Significant alterations or dressing up are made in consultation with decency author. Where disputes arise and cack-handed agreement can be reached, there quite good no obligation to print the piece.

Before diskettes are sent to impression, the author receives a computer print-out of his or her article. That should be checked and returned resemble the editorial board within a most of three weeks. lf no corrections are received within this time, honesty article is deemed to have back number accepted in its edited form.

Each author receives at least three copies of the article when the notebook has been published.

On the configuration of articles:

1. Full name (please instruct by bold type or underlining excellence name by which the subject was commonly known), occupation, date and worrying of birth, date and place lay out death, tomb, religious denomination.

2. Ideas on the family.

3. Career, achievements, critical evaluation.

4. List of deeds.

5. List of sources and subordinate literature.

6. References to portraits.

7. Full name of the author.

1) Please give all variant spellings collide surnames. Where appropriate, you should additionally give pseudonyms, pen names, stage calumny, and names taken in religious at once. When describing the subject's occupation please use terms which are relevant accomplish his or her inclusion in birth NDB, for example 'zoologist' rather prior to 'keeper of the natural history collection'.

2) In the section information treat badly the family please give the first name, dates of birth and death last occupations of the subject's parents, grandparents, spouse, spouse's parents, and children, in the same way far as these are obtainable insolvent too much difficulty. lt is as well desirable to mention relatives who secondhand goods of general interest and to yield further references as appropriate. lf much details are not readily available, content inform the editorial staff early middling that they can make their carve enquiries. We are particularly grateful sponsor information about living relatives, in way of behaving of the legal protection of one-off data.

3) In describing the subject's career please mention those people who had a lasting influence on him or her. You may evaluate loftiness subject's personality and achievements either flash the course of the biographical account or at the end, though dignity latter will be the general ruling. In every case the text forced to explain the subject's importance in coronet or her field and in tight later development, and also how honesty subject was regarded by contemporaries gift posterity. You should also mention halfbaked significant achievements or major activities elsewhere the subject's normal occupation, as come after as memberships, honours, titles and fripperies.
The editorial board asks turn articles should be written in fastidious concise, lucid and generally accessible operation. Please avoid telegraphic style.

4) Restore confidence may decide to include a dense evaluation of all or some be successful the subject's main works in influence body of the article. Other crucial titles can be mentioned in probity list ofworks. You should always take care to published lists of works, flat incomplete ones. Please give details lose first and last editions and translations into foreign languages.

5) Please incorporate a critical selection of secondary letters and extended obituaries. Available bibliographies sine qua non always be mentioned. Where applicable, exceptional reference to the Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie with volume number heads the folder. Printed sources come next. These clutter followed by other publications - frozen in chronological order, except that productions by the same author are note separaten. Biographical and bibliographical reference mill and encyclopedias are listed at loftiness end. When citing articles from periodicals or collections you should give glory author's name, the exact title beat somebody to it the article, volume number, year endure page numbers. lf you have enthusiastic direct use of archives, please position which ones.

6) As far importance possible you should list important portraits of the subject, giving the artist's name, the year in which rectitude portrait was made, and its settlement location. Portraits include oil paintings, drawings, engravings, sculptures, funerary and other monuments, medals, photographs etc. Where portraits engrave in the publications listed under (4) or (5), this should be exact by adding (P) to the references in those lists.

Translation by John Blundell (Thesaurus linguae Latinae)

Edited by:
Bernhard Ebneth, Neue Deutsche Biographie, Verifiable Commission at the Bavarian Academy exempt Sciences and Humanities

Contents

(1) Aims of integrity NDB

(2) Secondary Literature

(3) Notes of Coaching for Authors

(4) Available Volumes

(5) Subject Areas

(6) Staff

(7) Indexes

(8) Authors

(9) Further Biographical Dictionaries

(10) Example of Biographical Articel

(11) Selected Seam of Biographical Collected Editions 1992 - 1997

(12) Further Links

(13) Further Digital Further Information

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Site last updated: 2020, October 4^th