Haim Shirman

Chaim ( Yefim ) Schirmann (* October 19, 1904 in Kiev, † 15 June 1981) was an Israeli scholar. His research focus was the medieval Jewish Fiction Spain, Provence and Italy.

Life

Growing up in the Russian Empire, the family moved due to the impact of the October Revolution in 1920 to Germany. So it was that Schirmann until 1924 could decide to attend a Gymnasium. In 1928, however, his thesis was The Hebrew translation of the Maqamen of Hariri (Frankfurt am Main 1930) before ready for printing. A short time it could Schirmann start working at the newly founded Schocken Institute for the Study of medieval Hebrew poetry at the invitation of the conductor, Chaim Brody. After the " seizure of power" of the Nazis both emigrated to Jerusalem where the Institute was able to continue his work and contributions henceforth no longer published in German language. 1937 Schirmann was invited as guest lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he was appointed in 1952 professor of medieval Hebrew poetry. In this field, he provided both the edition of the works of individual authors as well as his monumental body of work, the two -volume history of Hebrew poetry, which was published posthumously by Ezra Fleischer. 1957 received Schirmann the Israel Prize for Jewish Studies, 1964, he was elected to the Academy of Sciences. His retirement was made in 1968.

Works ( selection)

• The Hebrew translation of the Maqamen of Hariri ( writings of the Society for the Advancement of Jewish Studies 37). Frankfurt am Main: J. Kauffmann 1930.
• מבחר השירה העברית באיטליה [ anthology of Hebrew poetry in Italy]. Berlin: Schocken, 1934.
• השירה העברית בספרד ובפרובאנס [ Hebrew Poetry in Spain and Provence ]. 2 volumes Jerusalem 1954/56.
• תולדות השירה העברית בספרד המוסלמית [ The History of Hebrew Poetry in Muslim Spain. Edited, Annotated and Supplemented by Ezra Fleischer ] Jerusalem. Magnes 1995 ISBN 965-223-914-3 (Hebrew ).
• תולדות השירה העברית בספרד הנוצרית ובדרום צרפת [ The History of Hebrew Poetry in Christian Spain and Southern France. Edited, Annotated and Supplemented by Ezra Fleischer ]. Jerusalem: Magnes, 1997 ISBN 965-223-963-1 (Hebrew ).