| Born: | 09-01-1859 |
| Faculty: | Philosophical School |
| Category: | Expelled teacher |
Alfred Francis Přibram (born on September 1st, 1859 in London, died on May 7th, 1942 in London) was the son of Heinrich Přibram (merchant) and Sophie, née Wehle. He studied history and philosophy at the University of Vienna in 1878-1882 and also took the training course at the Institute for Austrian Historical Research from 1881. He received his doctorate in history in 1882. In 1887 he habilitated and became privat lecturer ("Privatdozent") for general modern history at the University of Vienna, in 1894 extraordinary professor, in 1900 he got title, but not the position, of a full professor ("Pd. tit. o. Prof.") and in 1913 the full professorship for middle and modern history.
In 1919 he became a corresponding member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Between 1921 and 1924 Přibram made lecture tours to England and took on visiting professorships at Stanford University (1926) and at Harvard University (1927/28) in the USA.
His research focused on Austrian history in the second half of the 17th century, the personality, politics and time of Emperor Leopold I, to which he devoted several critical source studies and monographs, e.g. Franz Paul Freiherr von Lisola 1613-1674 und die Politik seiner Zeit (1894). In the course of editing and processing the political secret treaties of Austria-Hungary between 1879 and 1914, he also dealt with the deeper causes of the outbreak of the First World War, which brought him international recognition with works such as: Austrian State Treaties (1907-1913), Documents and Files on the History of the Jews in Vienna 1526-1847 (1918), The Secret Political Treaties of Austria-Hungary 1879-1914 (1920), Austrian Foreign Policy 1908-18 (1923). Přibram was the Austria representative of the Rockefeller Foundation and was solely responsible for the selection of Austrian fellows between 1924 and 1928. He had been a member of the English Historical Society since 1930.
In 1930, Přibram became emeritus professor at the University of Vienna.
Because of his Jewish origin, Přibram's teaching license ("venia legendi") was revoked by the University of Vienna by decree of the Federal Ministry of Education on April 22nd, 1938. In December 1938, Přibram declared his resignation from the Austrian Academy of Sciences to avoid expulsion.
In early 1939, he was able to emigrate to Great Britain to join his sons living there and was still active as a professor at the London School of Economics in 1939-1942.
Prof. Dr. Alfred Francis Přibram died on May 7th, 1942 in London, Great Britain.
Lit.: Memorial Book Austrian Academy of Science; RÖDER 1983, 927; ÖBL 1981, 275; Christine ZOUZELKA, Alfred Francis Pribram (1859–1942). Leben und Werk als Historiker, Dissertation, Universität Wien 1969; Friedrich ENGEL-JANOSI, … aber ein stolzer Bettler, 1974; BLUMESBERGER 2002, 1076f.; Christian FLECK, Transatlantische Bereicherungen, Frankfurt am Main 2007, 73–79, 167–179; Gernot HEIß, Zwischen Wissenschaft und Ideologieproduktion – Geschichte an der Universität Wien 1848 bis 1965, in: Karl Anton Fröschl u.a., Hg., Reflexive Innensichten aus der Universität. Disziplinengeschichten zwischen Wissenschaft, Gesellschaft und Politik, Göttingen 2015, 311–324, 315.
Herbert Posch
