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August Closs Papers

Closs's particular research interest was in poetry, especially the German love lyrik, where his studies included Gottfried's Tristan and Isolt and the poetry of Goethe and Hölderlin.

August Closs bronze.jpg
Bronze bust of August Closs (in the Archive)

August Closs (1898-1990) was born in Upper Austria in 1898, and received his education in Berlin, Vienna, Graz, and University College London (UCL), where he studied under the medievalist and palaeographer Robert Priebsch. Under Priebsch's tuition, Closs developed his skills in palaeography and a love of medieval literature. In 1929 Closs became a lecturer at the University of Sheffield, and in 1930 he returned to UCL as a lecturer in the Department of German. In 1932 he was appointed Reader in German at Bristol University as successor to James Boyd. He held the post of Professor and Head of Department until his retirement in 1964.

His particular research interest was in poetry, especially the German love lyrik, where his studies included Gottfried's Tristan and Isolt and the poetry of Goethe and Hölderlin. His first important piece of research was on the theme of Dame World 'Weltlohn', published in 1934. Closs played a leading role in the post-World War II twinning of Bristol and Hannover.

In 1931 Closs married Hannah Priebsch, only child of his former mentor, Robert Priebsch; the linguist Elizabeth Closs Traugott is their daughter.

Closs continued to research and publish right up to his death in 1990. Like his father-in-law he was a great collector. He and Hannah inherited Robert Priebsch's library of rare and first editions, and added to it. Closs also collected manuscripts and autograph letters, housed with the Germanic Studies Collection as 'The Priebsch-Closs Collection'.

University of London Archives

University of London, Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

August Closs personal papers