Theodor Mayer (24 August 1883 – 26 November 1972) 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.

Life

Origin and youth Theodor Mayer was born on 24 August 1883, in Neukirchen an der Enknach, Austria-Hungary. Throughout his life, he consistently emphasized his origins as an "Innviertler." His parents were Johann Nepomuk Mayer, a physician, and Maria, Wittib (née) Mayer. After completing his elementary education in Neukirchen, he attended a grammar school in Linz from 1893 to 1895. In 1895, the family relocated to Innsbruck, Mayer's mother's hometown, at her request. While attending the local grammar school, he formed a close friendship with Heinrich Ficker, the second eldest son of the historian Julius Ficker, with whom he shared the same class. This also brought Mayer, who had developed an interest in mathematics during his grammar school years, into contact with Alfons Dopsch, a regular guest at the Fickers' house in the summer of 1899. These encounters had a profound and enduring impact, ultimately influencing Mayer's decision to pursue a degree in history.Reto Heinzel: Theodor Mayer. Ein Mittelalterhistoriker im Banne des „Volkstums“ 1920–1960. Paderborn 2016, p. 26. He completed his Matura in Innsbruck in 1901.

Mayer had been intimately acquainted with the natural world since his youth. Like his friend Heinrich Ficker, who subsequently became a meteorologist and climatologist, he became a member of the Academic Alpine Club during his high school years and undertook numerous mountain tours. In his own words, he was "always in the lead." The profound experience of nature later also shaped Mayer's approach to science, particularly to regional history.Reto Heinzel: Theodor Mayer. Ein Mittelalterhistoriker im Banne des „Volkstums“ 1920–1960. Paderborn 2016, p. 81.

Years of study in Florence and Vienna From 1901, he pursued studies in history at the Istituto di Studi Superiori in Florence, which later became the university. However, he indicated that his primary interest lay in the language and culture of Italy. One year later, he relocated to the University of Vienna. From 1903 to 1905, he completed the 25th course at the traditional Institute for Austrian Historical Research. Notable fellow students included August Ritter von Loehr, Vinzenz Samanek, Otto Stolz, and Josef Kallbrunner.Alphons Lhotsky: Geschichte des Instituts für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung 1854–1954. Vienna 1954, p. 342–346. His most significant academic mentors were Emil von Ottenthal, Oswald Redlich, and above all, the economic and social historian Alfons Dopsch.On Mayer's relationship with his teacher Dopsch, see Theodor Mayer: Alfons Dopsch. In: Historische Zeitschrift 179 (1955), p. 213–216. He dedicated his dissertation at the Institute for Austrian Historical Research to the medieval constitution of castles in Austria. He received his doctorate from Dopsch at the end of November 1905 with a thesis on the trade relations between the Upper German towns and Austria in the 15th century. The treatise was published as volume 6 of the series Research on the internal history of Austria, which Dopsch founded in 1903.Theodor Mayer: Der auswärtige Handel des Herzogtums Österreich im Mittelalter. Innsbruck 1909.

Archive period Upon completion of his studies, Mayer initially served as a trainee at the Innsbruck State Archives from 1906 to 1907. During his tenure as an archivist, he married Johanna Stradal, who was approximately ten years his junior. His wife hailed from a wealthy upper middle-class family and was the daughter of a lawyer from Teplitz-Schönau in Bohemia. The analysis of private documents indicates that the marriage, which took place in 1911, was characterized by mutual respect and harmony.Anne Christine Nagel: Im Schatten des Dritten Reichs. Mittelalterforschung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland 1945–1970. Göttingen 2005, p. 160. Mayer, who was baptized a Catholic, converted to Protestantism through his marriage.Reto Heinzel: Theodor Mayer. Ein Mittelalterhistoriker im Banne des „Volkstums“ 1920–1960. Paderborn 2016, p. 89, Note 67. The couple had three children: Theodor in 1913, Hanna in 1914, and Emma in 1920.

In September 1912, Mayer was appointed Director of the Archive for Lower Austria at the age of 29. In March 1914, he successfully completed his habilitation at the University of Vienna with a thesis on administrative reform in Hungary after the Turkish period. Mayer enlisted as a volunteer in the same year and was assigned to a heavy artillery regiment. Until 1918, he served in South Tyrol, Galicia, on the Isonzo and on the Piave front, attaining the rank of first lieutenant. Upon his return from the war, he continued his work in the archive service. In 1921, he became a non-tenured associate professor at the University of Vienna. He published several articles on economic topics in the Wiener Mittag, a journal that advocated the unification of Germany and Austria.Reto Heinzel: Theodor Mayer. Ein Mittelalterhistoriker im Banne des „Volkstums“ 1920–1960. Paderborn 2016, p. 41.

Weimar Republic

Teaching in Prague (1922–1930) Following Emil Werunsky's resignation, the chair of Medieval History and Historical auxiliary Sciences at the German University of Prague remained vacant from 1920. After the appointment committee's preferred candidate, Otto Stolz, declined to relocate from Tyrol, Mayer was proposed in conjunction with Hermann Aubin at the top of the appointment list. Up to that point, Mayer had only engaged with topics pertaining to Austrian history and had not yet achieved notable achievements in the field of historical auxiliary sciences. However, Prague had been part of the Habsburg monarchy just a few years earlier, and the German-speaking professors in Prague still felt a connection to Austria after 1918. With his focus on the field of Medieval Administrative and Economic History, Mayer met the expectations of the appointment committee, which desired to see greater emphasis on the History of the Late Middle Ages and Economic History.Reto Heinzel: Von der Volkstumswissenschaft zum Konstanzer Arbeitskreis. Theodor Mayer und die interdisziplinäre deutsche Gemeinschaftsforschung. In: Stefan Albrecht, Jiří Malíř, Ralph Melville (Ed.): Die „sudetendeutsche Geschichtsschreibung“ 1918–1960. Zur Vorgeschichte und Gründung der Historischen Kommission der Sudetenländer. Munich 2008, P. 43–59, here: p. 48 (online). He found an advocate for his appointment in his university friend Hans Hirsch, the sole representative of the subject of medieval history and historical auxiliary sciences.Reto Heinzel: Theodor Mayer. Ein Mittelalterhistoriker im Banne des „Volkstums“ 1920–1960. Paderborn 2016, p. 43 f. In December 1922, Theodor Mayer was appointed associate professor at the German University of Prague.

He began teaching in the winter semester of 1923/24. He mainly offered lectures and tutorials on Economic history, including a regular three-hour lecture on Economic history from the summer semester of 1926. At the age of 44, he received his first full professorship in Prague in 1927. His interests shifted at the end of the 1920s, which was reflected in his lectures and publications. From 1928 onwards, settlement history issues took precedence over Economic history. Mayer had cadastral maps photographed and aerial photographs made. The Association for the History of the Germans in Bohemia, in which Mayer was involved, was intended to research the History of Bohemian settlements. As an academic teacher, he supervised 21 dissertations during his seven years of teaching in Prague, including nine on economic and settlement History topics.Pavel Kolář: Geschichtswissenschaft in Zentraleuropa. Die Universitäten Prag, Wien und Berlin um 1900. Half-volume 1. Leipzig 2008, p. 218.

Professorship in Giessen (1930–1934)