DOI article:
Murár, Tomáš: ‘I am wrong about my qualifications, or I do not have any friends’: Archival Research on the First Professorship of Max Dvořák
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.73804#0060
Folia Historiae Artium
Seria Nowa, t. 22: 2024/PL ISSN 0071-6723
TOMAS MURAR
Institute of Art History of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague
'I AM WRONG ABOUT MY QUALIFICATIONS,
OR I DO NOT HAVE ANY FRIENDS':
ARCHIVAL RESEARCH ON THE FIRST
PROFESSORSHIP OF MAX DVORAK
Max Dvorak's appointment as an associate professor
at the University of Vienna in 1905 has become almost
a mythical narrative in the historiography of early 20th-
-century art history: in every survey of Dvorak's ear-
ly life, this appointment is referred to as a milestone in
his career, but, paradoxically, is mentioned just in pas-
sing, as though it were self-evident.1 This is probably the
1 So far, this mythical narrative has not been supported by the archi-
val materials. To present them is the aim of this study in order to
show the more material-based narrative of this part of the history
of the so-called Vienna School of Art History. Beside the corre-
spondence and the newspapers articles presented below, the only
official archival material connected to this history is generally un-
known letter from the Imperial Royal Ministry of Culture and
Teaching (Ministerium fur Kultus und Unterricht) to the Dean's
Office of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Vienna (Dekanat
der philosophischen Fakultdt der k. k. Universitdt in Wien) from 31st
August 1905. This letter confirms that Dvorak had been appoint-
ed the associate professor of art history (auferordentlicher Profes-
sor der Kunstgeschichte) on 26th August with effect from 1st Oc-
tober 1905. This archival document has not been connected with
Dvorak's biography because it is not stored as a part of Dvorak's
estate in the Archive of the University of Vienna, but as the part of
Personalakt of Julius von Schlosser, Dvorak's successor at the Uni-
versity of Vienna in 1922, who was in 1905 together with Dvorak
appointed the associate professor of art history of the University
of Vienna (see the new classification of the document after its dis-
covery: Universitat Wien, Universitatsarchiv, PH PA 1514 Dvorak,
1897.12.17-1921.02.28 (Akt)). This letter is the only so far known
official document confirming Dvorak's 1905 professorship - the
official decree of appointment has not been discovered yet. The
author of this study would like to thank to the staff of the Ar-
chive of the University of Vienna for their help to track down this
result of an anachronistic assumption informing histo-
riographic research, which presumes that since Dvorak
succeeded Alois Reigl and Franz Wickhoff at the Uni-
versity of Vienna, he must have belonged to the Vienna
School of Art History.2 However, in this study I would
document. For Dvorak's biographies see, e.g., H. Aurenham-
mer, 'Max Dvorak (1874-1921). Von der historischen Quellenkri-
tik zur Kunstgeschichte als Geistesgeschichte', in Osterreichische
Historiker. Lebensldufe und Karrieren 1900-1945, ed. K. Hruza,
Wien-Koln-Weimar 2012, pp. 169-200, here p. 177; S. Scarroc-
chia, 'Denkmalpflege und Moderne: Die Lehre Max Dvoraks', in
M. Dvorak, Schriften zur Denkmalpflege, ed. S. Scarrocchia,
Wien-Koln-Weimar 2012, pp. 23-210, here p. 24; L. Kalinowski,
Max Dvorak i jego metoda badań nad sztuką, Warszawa 1974, p.
10; K. M. Swoboda; 'Vortrag zum 30. Todestag von Max Dvorak',
Osterreichische Zeitschrift fur Kunst und Denkmalpflege, 28, 1974,
pp. 74-81, here p. 76; J. Pecirka, 'Max Dvofak. Zivotopis', in Max
Dvorak. Umeni jako projev ducha, ed. J. Pecirka, Praha 1936, pp.
VII-XCII, here LVIII-LIX; J. Pavel, Max Dvorak, ochrance pama-
tek, Praha 1974, pp. 254-256.
2 See, e.g., J. v. Schlosser, 'Die Wiener Schule der Kunstgeschich-
te, Ruckblick auf ein Sakulum deutscher Gelehrtenarbeit in Os-
terreich', Mitteilungen des osterreichischen Instituts fur Geschichts-
forschung, 13, 1934, pp. 145-225; A. Rosenauer, 'Das Ratsel der
Kunst der Bruder Van Eyck. Max Dvofak und seine Stellung zu
Wickhoff und Riegl', in Wien und die Entwicklung der kunsthisto-
rischen Methode. Akten des XXV. Internationalen Kongresses fur
Kunstgeschichte I/i, eds. H. Fillitz, M. Pippal, Wien-Koln-Graz
1984, pp. 45-52; R. Chadraba, 'Max Dvofak a videnska skola de-
jin umeni', in Kapitoly z ceskeho dejepisu umenl II. Dvacate stoletl,
ed. idem, Praha 1987, pp. 9-70. J. Bakoś, 'Die epistemologische
Wende eines Kunsthistorikers', in KArt et les revolutions, Section
5: Revolution et evolution de 1'Histoire de 1'Art de Warburg d nos
Seria Nowa, t. 22: 2024/PL ISSN 0071-6723
TOMAS MURAR
Institute of Art History of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague
'I AM WRONG ABOUT MY QUALIFICATIONS,
OR I DO NOT HAVE ANY FRIENDS':
ARCHIVAL RESEARCH ON THE FIRST
PROFESSORSHIP OF MAX DVORAK
Max Dvorak's appointment as an associate professor
at the University of Vienna in 1905 has become almost
a mythical narrative in the historiography of early 20th-
-century art history: in every survey of Dvorak's ear-
ly life, this appointment is referred to as a milestone in
his career, but, paradoxically, is mentioned just in pas-
sing, as though it were self-evident.1 This is probably the
1 So far, this mythical narrative has not been supported by the archi-
val materials. To present them is the aim of this study in order to
show the more material-based narrative of this part of the history
of the so-called Vienna School of Art History. Beside the corre-
spondence and the newspapers articles presented below, the only
official archival material connected to this history is generally un-
known letter from the Imperial Royal Ministry of Culture and
Teaching (Ministerium fur Kultus und Unterricht) to the Dean's
Office of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Vienna (Dekanat
der philosophischen Fakultdt der k. k. Universitdt in Wien) from 31st
August 1905. This letter confirms that Dvorak had been appoint-
ed the associate professor of art history (auferordentlicher Profes-
sor der Kunstgeschichte) on 26th August with effect from 1st Oc-
tober 1905. This archival document has not been connected with
Dvorak's biography because it is not stored as a part of Dvorak's
estate in the Archive of the University of Vienna, but as the part of
Personalakt of Julius von Schlosser, Dvorak's successor at the Uni-
versity of Vienna in 1922, who was in 1905 together with Dvorak
appointed the associate professor of art history of the University
of Vienna (see the new classification of the document after its dis-
covery: Universitat Wien, Universitatsarchiv, PH PA 1514 Dvorak,
1897.12.17-1921.02.28 (Akt)). This letter is the only so far known
official document confirming Dvorak's 1905 professorship - the
official decree of appointment has not been discovered yet. The
author of this study would like to thank to the staff of the Ar-
chive of the University of Vienna for their help to track down this
result of an anachronistic assumption informing histo-
riographic research, which presumes that since Dvorak
succeeded Alois Reigl and Franz Wickhoff at the Uni-
versity of Vienna, he must have belonged to the Vienna
School of Art History.2 However, in this study I would
document. For Dvorak's biographies see, e.g., H. Aurenham-
mer, 'Max Dvorak (1874-1921). Von der historischen Quellenkri-
tik zur Kunstgeschichte als Geistesgeschichte', in Osterreichische
Historiker. Lebensldufe und Karrieren 1900-1945, ed. K. Hruza,
Wien-Koln-Weimar 2012, pp. 169-200, here p. 177; S. Scarroc-
chia, 'Denkmalpflege und Moderne: Die Lehre Max Dvoraks', in
M. Dvorak, Schriften zur Denkmalpflege, ed. S. Scarrocchia,
Wien-Koln-Weimar 2012, pp. 23-210, here p. 24; L. Kalinowski,
Max Dvorak i jego metoda badań nad sztuką, Warszawa 1974, p.
10; K. M. Swoboda; 'Vortrag zum 30. Todestag von Max Dvorak',
Osterreichische Zeitschrift fur Kunst und Denkmalpflege, 28, 1974,
pp. 74-81, here p. 76; J. Pecirka, 'Max Dvofak. Zivotopis', in Max
Dvorak. Umeni jako projev ducha, ed. J. Pecirka, Praha 1936, pp.
VII-XCII, here LVIII-LIX; J. Pavel, Max Dvorak, ochrance pama-
tek, Praha 1974, pp. 254-256.
2 See, e.g., J. v. Schlosser, 'Die Wiener Schule der Kunstgeschich-
te, Ruckblick auf ein Sakulum deutscher Gelehrtenarbeit in Os-
terreich', Mitteilungen des osterreichischen Instituts fur Geschichts-
forschung, 13, 1934, pp. 145-225; A. Rosenauer, 'Das Ratsel der
Kunst der Bruder Van Eyck. Max Dvofak und seine Stellung zu
Wickhoff und Riegl', in Wien und die Entwicklung der kunsthisto-
rischen Methode. Akten des XXV. Internationalen Kongresses fur
Kunstgeschichte I/i, eds. H. Fillitz, M. Pippal, Wien-Koln-Graz
1984, pp. 45-52; R. Chadraba, 'Max Dvofak a videnska skola de-
jin umeni', in Kapitoly z ceskeho dejepisu umenl II. Dvacate stoletl,
ed. idem, Praha 1987, pp. 9-70. J. Bakoś, 'Die epistemologische
Wende eines Kunsthistorikers', in KArt et les revolutions, Section
5: Revolution et evolution de 1'Histoire de 1'Art de Warburg d nos