Prof. Dr. phil. Dr. theol., Professor of Hebrew Bible and Semitic Philology 1929–1958
*1887 ✝1970

"*24.11.1887 Winterthur, ✝ 31.1.1970 Basel, protestant from Schwändi. Son of Andreas, Professor of English at Zurich Polytechnicum. ∞ 1923 Mia Schirp. Studied history, classic and ANE philology in Zurich. Philology in Zurich (1912 doctorate), further studies in Giessen and Marburg (1916 habilitation), 1917 Licentiate in Theology. 1920 associate, 1928 full Prof. in Giessen, 1929–1958 full professor in Basel. The publications of this liberal theologian, who rarely worked specifically on theology, cover a broad spectrum in keeping with his inclination towards comparative studies. His publications cover a wide range of subjects, including prophecy and wisdom in the Hebrew Bible, Semitic (especially Hebrew and Aramaic) philology, legendology, history of religion and research on fairy tales. His main works are the first two volumes of Ludwig Köhler's "Hebräisches und aramäisches Lexikon zum Alten Testament"⁽³1967–1974), to the 2nd edition of which he contributed the Aramaic section (1953) and a supplement (1958)." (translated version of the biography by Hans-Peter Mathys, in: Historical Dictionary of Switzerland: https: //hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/010521/2004-04-27/).

Semitic Philology bibliography of Walter Baumgartner

Festschriften for Walter Baumgartner:

• B. Reicke (ed.), Festgabe für Walter Baumgartner zum 70. Geburtstag, den 24. November 1957, in: Theologische Zeitschrift 13, 1957, 403–540 (= Issue 6).
• B. Hartmann et al. (eds.), Hebräische Wortforschung. Festschrift für Walter Baumgartner zum 80. Geburtstag (Supplemets to Vetus Testamentum 16), Leiden: Brill 1967.

Literature on Walter Baumgartner:

• Johann Jakob Stamm, Walter B. als Gelehrter und Lehrer, in: Theologische Literaturzeitung (ThLZ) 82, 1951, 875–879.
• Rudolph Smend, Kritiker und Exegeten. Porträtskizzen zu vier Jahrhunderten alttestamentlicher Wissenschaft, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht 2017, 708–728.