Hundert Jahre Formgeschichte: Ein Tribut an die Begründer

Abstract

Abstract A hundred years ago, in 1919–1922, the groundbreaking works on form-criticism appeared, mainly independent of each other. This means that it is time for a retrospect and an evaluation. The article starts with the forerunners, especially Johann Gottlieb Herder and Hermann Gunkel, but also some others. Then main paragraphs are devoted to each of the five protagonists: Martin Dibelius, Karl Ludwig Schmidt, Rudolph Bultmann, Martin Albertz and Georg Bertram. Their foundational form-critical studies are discussed and contextualized within their lives and their literary output. In the case of Dibelius, more attention than usual is given to the important differences between the first (1919) and the second edition (1933) of his “Formgeschichte” that was decisive for creating the terminology. The little known political options that Bertram favored are criticized. The final section draws some lines from the early 20th century to the present days.