Wilken, Friedrich

Wilken, Friedrich a famous historian, was born May 23,1777, at Ratzeburg, in the duchy of Lauenburg. He studied at Gottingen, at first theology, but afterwards, classic and Oriental philology and history. In 1798 he received the prize for an essay, De Bellorum Cruciatorum ex Abulfeda Historia; in 1805 he was appointed professor of history at Heidelberg, and in 1807 director of the university library. In 1817 he was called to Berlin as first librarian and professor in the university, and in 1819 he was made a member of the Academy of Sciences. He undertook a literary journey to Italy in 1826; in 1829 he went in behalf of the government to France and England, and in 1838 to Wiesbaden and Munich. He died December 24, 1840. His main work is the Gesch. der Kreuzzuge nach morgenlandischen und abendlandischehn Berichten (Leips. 1807-32, 7 volumes). He also wrote, Gesch. der Bildung, Beraubung und Vernichtunag der alten Heidelberger Buchersammlung ( Heidelb. 1817): — Gesch. der koniglichen Bibliothek zu Berlin (Berlin, 1828). (B.P.)