science

Herwig Wolfram

Herwig Wolfram is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Herwig Wolfram rather than just read about it. In short: Herwig Wolfram (born 14 February 1934) is an Austrian historian who is Professor Emeritus of Medieval History and Auxiliary Sciences of History at the University of Vienna and the former Director of the Institute of Austrian Historical Research. He is a leading member of the Vienna School of History, and internationally known for his authoritative works on the history of Austria, the Goths, and relationships between…

Key takeaways

Herwig Wolfram belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Herwig Wolfram to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Herwig Wolfram from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Herwig Wolfram (born 14 February 1934) is an Austrian historian who is Professor Emeritus of Medieval History and Auxiliary Sciences of History at the University of Vienna and the former Director of the Institute of Austrian Historical Research. He is a leading member of the Vienna School of History, and internationally known for his authoritative works on the history of Austria, the Goths, and relationships between the Germanic peoples and the Roman Empire.

Biography Herwig Wolfram was born in Vienna, Austria on 14 February 1934. He studied history and Latin at the University of Vienna since 1952, gaining a Ph.D. there in 1957. He subsequently served as University Assistant at the Institute of History at the University of Vienna (1959–1961) and the Institute of Austrian Historical Research (1962–1969). Wolfram gained his habilitation at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Vienna in 1966. Wolfram was Visiting Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1968 to 1969, and has subsequently made many visits to the United States. Since 1969, Wolfram was Professor of Medieval History and Auxiliary Sciences of History at the University of Vienna. From 1983 to 2002, Wolfram was also Director of the Institute of Austrian Historical Research. He was since retired from the University of Vienna as professor emeritus.

Research Wolfram is a leading figure in the Vienna School of History. His book History of the Goths (1979) has been translated into a number of languages and been published in several completely revised editions. It is considered the standard work on the Goths, and a work of large importance to the study of Germanic peoples in general. In the more recent editions of this work, Wolfram has adopted some of the controversial theories of Walter Goffart. Wolfram and Heather's books on the Goths are considered the foremost studies on the subject.

Honours and awards Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences Corresponding member of Monumenta Historica Corresponding member of the Medieval Academy of America Austrian Medal for Science and Art (2000) Cardinal Innitzer Prize (2011) Corresponding member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (2015)

Select bibliography Works in English translation. For a complete list see the German National Library

History of the Goths, University of California Press, 1990. ISBN 0-520-06983-8 The Roman Empire and Its Germanic Peoples, University of California Press, 1997. ISBN 0-520-08511-6 Conrad II, 990-1039: Emperor of Three Kingdoms, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-271-02738-X

References

Sources

Online Kunsthausmuerz. "Herwig Wolfram". Retrieved 20 November 2018.

External links Profile at the University of Vienna website (in German) Biographical notes (in German) Biographical notes (in German) Herwig Wolfram at LibraryThing

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Herwig Wolfram

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Herwig Wolfram claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Herwig Wolfram before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Herwig Wolfram ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Herwig Wolfram

In research: Herwig Wolfram appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Herwig Wolfram in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Herwig Wolfram is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1934 births, 20th-century Austrian historians, Corresponding Fellows of the Medieval Academy of America, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Herwig Wolfram outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Herwig Wolfram in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Herwig Wolfram means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Herwig Wolfram out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Herwig Wolfram in simple terms?

Why does Herwig Wolfram matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Herwig Wolfram?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Herwig Wolfram.