Eine Wiederentdeckung wert – Michel Bréal, Sprachwissenschaftler und Mittler zwischen Deutschland und Frankreich
Michel Bréal, Linguist and Mediator between Germany and France – Worth Rediscovering)

Summary/Abstract: The review praises the anthology published by the Michel Bréal Society, which aims to draw more attention to the undeservedly forgotten German-French linguist Michel Bréal (1832–1915). Bréal made groundbreaking contributions to modern linguistics, acted as a mediator between Germany and France, and is considered the inventor of the Olympic marathon. The publication contains eight articles that shed light on various facets of Bréal’s work, which went far beyond linguistics and focused, among other things, on educational reform in France. Some articles deal with Bréal’s biography, his German-French background, his studies in Paris and Berlin, and his painful experiences due to tensions in Franco-German relations. Although he held a chair at the Collège de France for decades and worked to promote Franco-German scientific exchange, Bréal fell into obscurity, partly because of his unpopular efforts to promote understanding, and died in 1915 largely unnoticed. The central theme of the text is Bréal’s most important work, the „Essai de sémantique“ from 1897. Because of this work, Bréal is considered an important early representative of synchronic linguistics. His efforts to promote peace, his educational legacy in the French education system, and the historical significance of his idea of the marathon are also discussed in detail. The individual contributions paint a vivid picture of an outstanding scientist whose commitment against a backdrop of nationalist tensions highlights the limitations of the individual and whose subject matter is still relevant today.

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