Library Johannes Bechert

Johannes Bechert (* September 17, 1931; † July 14, 1994) was a German linguist and philologist. He received his doctorate in general and Indo-European Linguistics and Classical Philology, and also studied Philosophy. After a research assistantship in Munich, his habilitation and a substitute professorship for Indo-European Linguistics in Bonn, he accepted the call to the University of Bremen in 1971. His scientific interest was intensively influenced by his contacts with Ernst Lewy (1881- 1964), who can be regarded as one of the pioneers of the newly established linguistic typology in Europe. He was interested in linguistics of Eastern Europe (especially Caucasus), language contact and the topic of "language universals". He pursued arealtypological issues in his research and was also committed to the preservation of linguistic diversity and the conservation of endangered languages.

The nearly 6000 scholarly works acquired for the UB Erfurt in 1994 reflect Bechert's research foci.

Biography in: Sprache in Raum und Zeit: in memoriam Johannes Bechert, Band 1: Kleine Schriften.