German books of the late Duncan Mennie (1909-1998), formerly Professor of German and Scandinavian Languages at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne
I have to give up the house I inherited from my Uncle and Aunt, Duncan and Flora Mennie, 7 Princes Avenue, Gosforth NE3 2HR. Duncan Mennie was 1938-1940, 1945-1974 Lecturer, Reader and Professor, first of German and then also of Scandinavian Languages at King's College, Newcastle, University of Durham, later the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He studied especially under Walter Bruford at King's College, University of Aberdeen 1925-1929. and then did postgraduate research at the University of Kiel in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, under Prof. Carl Wesle, whom he already knew from Jena. (and the Nordist Walter Heinrich Vogt) finishing at the end of May 1933 with a thesis on the subject "Die Personenbeschreibung im höfischen Epos der mittelhochdeutschen Epigonenzeit/Eine Stiluntersuchung" (of which copies are still available with Duncan's books).
I have been able to donate Duncan Mennie's Scandinavian books to the Centre for Scandinvian Studies/University Library in Aberdeen. Duncan's Alma Mater, where they are much appreciated, helping to expand the library, after the Scandinavian Department at Newcastle had been closed (in the wake of closures as a result of the anti-language policy of Mrs. Thatcher). However I still have the greater part of Duncan's German books, the working library of a Germanist which I would like to see in good hands, can donate free of any cost and, if possible, do not want to throw away into a container. There is a good section particularly on Middle High German (also Old High German), reflecting the state of art in the 1920s/1930s and post-war period, many MHD texts in the series "Altdeutsche Textbibliothek" (Max Niemeyer Verlag, Halle/Saale), for instance "Priester Wernhers Maria", edited by Carl Wesle (1927) and literature on Middle High German literature, fitting into two or three boxes. There are works on German language and literatur, editions of the major German authors (Lessing, Goethe, Schiller, Heine etc.). A particular speciality are various works, also in early editions (going back to the 1850s), of the early "Kulturwissen-schaftler", Wilhelm Heinrich Riehl, regarded as a founder figure of ethnographic studies in Germany in the second half of the 19th century. There are also books in French, Italian, Dutch and the complete parts (still uncut) of the Luxemburgisches Wörterbuch. Altogether the books would fit into about 15+ boxes.
It would be good to see the books in good hands and that they are used, for instance by younger German specialists. Anyone interested in part or the whole please contact: [log in to unmask], Tel. +49-175-2162460, +49-30-6246454, I am now in Newcastle until 20 May and again in June, Tel. +44-191-2854985, and would like to clear the house by July if possible.
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