Martin Phillipson

Born in Magdeburg, Germany, Martin Phillipson studied history at the universities of Bonn and Berlin; his father was the scholar and social reformer Ludwig Phillipson. Although Martin received the endorsement of his colleagues for a full professorship at the University of Berlin by 1871, Emperor William I of Germany interceded to prevent the appointment of a Jew as professor in the university’s history department. In 1878, Phillipson accepted a position at the University of Brussels, eventually becoming a dean of the institution. In his role as dean, he came into conflict with socialist student groups, and as a result, he resigned in 1891. Returning to Berlin, he helped establish a number of organizations dedicated to Jewish historical study.