Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Bock, Fedor von

(Encyclopedia)Bock, Fedor von fāˈdôr fən bôk [key], 1880–1945, German field marshal. During World War II he led German armies in Poland, the Low Countries, France, and Russia. In 1941 he failed to take Mosco...

Wolff, Christian von

(Encyclopedia)Wolff or Wolf, Christian von krĭsˈtyän fən vôlf [key], 1679–1754, German philosopher. One of the first to use the German language instead of Latin, he systematized and popularized the doctrines...

Boyen, Hermann von

(Encyclopedia)Boyen, Hermann von boiˈən [key], 1771–1848, Prussian field marshal. After the Prussian defeat by Emperor Napoleon I and the disastrous treaties of Tilsit in 1807 (see Sovetsk), he assisted Scharnh...

Moos, Ludwig von

(Encyclopedia)Moos, Ludwig von lo͝otˈvĭkh fən mo͞os [key], 1910–90, Swiss political leader. Entering politics in his native town of Sachseln, he served (1941–46) as its president. He was later a government...

Müller, Johannes von

(Encyclopedia)Müller, Johannes von yōhäˈnəs fən mülˈər [key], 1752–1809, Swiss historian. He spent much of his life in Germany, where he held political posts under the elector of Mainz, the king of Pruss...

Siegen, Ludwig von

(Encyclopedia)Siegen, Ludwig von lo͝otˈvĭkh fən zēˈgən [key], c.1609–1680, German engraver, b. Holland, educated in Germany. He is said to have invented (c.1640) the mezzotint process of engraving. Among h...

Feuerbach, Anselm von

(Encyclopedia)Feuerbach, Anselm von änˈzĕlm fən foiˈərbäkh [key], 1829–80, German painter. He studied in Germany, Paris, and Rome, spending much of his life in Italy. He sought to produce works of pure cla...

Otfried von Weissenburg

(Encyclopedia)Otfried von Weissenburg ôtˈfrēt fən vīˈsənbo͝orkh [key], 9th-century German monk and poet; pupil of Rabanus Maurus Magnentius. His Liber Evangeliorum (863–71) is a counterpart in Old High Ge...

Amsdorf, Nikolaus von

(Encyclopedia)Amsdorf, Nikolaus von nēˈkōlous fən ämsˈdôrf [key], 1483–1565, German Protestant reformer. He became a devoted supporter of Martin Luther. Elector John Frederick I of Saxony appointed Amsdorf...

Brauchitsch, Walther von

(Encyclopedia)Brauchitsch, Walther von välˈtər fən brouˈkhĭch [key], 1881–1948, German field marshal. Of a Prussian Junker family, he served in World War I with the general staff and later remained in the m...

Browse by Subject