Kremer, Alfred Von
Kremer, Alfred Von
Born May 13, 1828, in Vienna; died there Dec. 27, 1889. Austrian orientalist, author of works on Islamic studies and the cultural history of Oriental countries. He was the first Western European orientalist to attempt to analyze the social structure of Muslim societies and to define the moving forces in their development. Kremer believed that Islam had to be studied in connection with the entire history of Muslim culture, a culture that he regarded as a synthesis of socioeconomic, political, and intellectual factors. He introduced numerous primary sources into scholarly use.
WORKS
Geschichte der herrschenden Ideen des Islams. Leipzig, 1868.Kulturgeschichte des Orients unter den Chalifen, vols. 1–2. Vienna, 1875–77.