In Memoriam: Otto Paul Pflanze

memorial

Paul H. Elovitz

Abstract

This memorial tribute marks the death of historian Otto Paul Pflanze (1919–2007) on March 3, 2007, in Bloomington, Indiana. The author presents him as a biographer of Otto von Bismarck who did some psychohistory, and as editor-in-chief of The American Historical Review from 1977 to 1985. The tribute outlines his education at Maryville College and Yale University, his wartime service in the U.S. Army Air Corps, his work editing Documents of German Foreign Policy, 1918–45 for the U.S. Department of State, and his teaching career, which ended with his 1992 retirement from Bard College. It identifies his three-volume Bismarck and the Development of Germany as his best-known work. The author regards his article “Toward a Psychoanalytic Interpretation of Bismarck” as a source for understanding Bismarck’s psychodynamics, but maintains that Pflanze did not explore the unconscious motives behind Bismarck’s diplomacy. The tribute also reports his reputation as an advisor, teacher, and editor.

Keywords:

American Historical Review (AHR), Bard College, Documents of German Foreign Policy, 1918-45, Indiana University, New York University, Otto Paul Pflanze, Otto von Bismarck, psychobiography, psychohistory, University of Illinois, University of Massachusetts, University of Minnesota

It has come to our attention that Professor Otto Paul Pflanze (1919-2007), who did some psychohistory as a biographer of Otto von Bismarck and was editor-in-chief from 1977 to 1985 of The American Historical Review (AHR—the preeminent American historical journal), died on March 3, 2007 in Bloomington, Indiana. Pflanze’s “Toward a Psychoanalytic Interpretation of Bismarck” (AHR, 1972) is an invaluable source for understanding the psychodynamics of the unifier of Germany. This internationally renowned Bismarck (1815-1998) biographer and historian of nineteenth century Germany was born in Tennessee and educated at Maryville College and Yale University, with the latter interrupted by service in the Air Corps of the U.S. Army. Though still a graduate student, he worked for a year for the U.S. Department of State helping to edit Documents of German Foreign Policy, 1918–45. After receiving his PhD in 1950, he taught at New York University, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the University of Illinois, the University of Minnesota, Indiana University and finally as Stevenson Professor of History at Bard College prior to his 1992 retirement.

Aside from his service as editor of the American Historical Review, Professor Pflanze is best known for his prize-winning three volumes on the “Iron Chancellor”: Bismarck and the Development of Germany (1963-1990). Bismarck the man shows with all of his hypochondria and contradictions in some of Pflanze’s writing, though he did not delve into the fascinating unconscious reasons for the Chancellor’s diplomacy.

Professor Pflanze was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and of various professional associations, as well as the recipient of numerous awards. He had a reputation as a generous advisor, teacher, and editor, as well as an interesting raconteur. He is survived by his wife of fifty-seven years, his three children, one grandchild, and a substantial body of scholarship.

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About the author

Paul H. Elovitz

Dr. Paul H. Elovitz, PhD, began organizing scholarly meetings when he started as a faculty member at Ramapo College and then as convener of the Institute for Psychohistory Saturday Workshops (1975-1982). In 1982, he founded the Psychohistory Forum to nurture psychohistorical research and continues to lead its Executive Council. In 1994, he created Clio’s Psyche (cliospsyche.org) to publish its scholarship, of which he is Editor-in-Chief. Prof. Elovitz is a historian, psychoanalytic researcher, and author of well over 400 publications, covering presidential psychobiography, teaching, documenting the field of psychohistory, and much more. After taking his doctoral degree in history, he trained and practiced as a psychoanalyst for three decades, and in 2019 was made the first Research Psychoanalyst by the New Jersey Institute for Psychoanalysis. Elovitz is the author of The Making of Psychohistory, editor of The Many Roads of the Builders of Psychohistory, and edited or wrote eight other books. He is a founding member and past president of the International Psychohistorical Association (1978-) who held all but one of its offices and continues to serve on its leadership council. He is the sole founder of the IPhA who has attended and presented at all of its annual meetings. In recent years, he has devoted himself to editing, publishing, and writing psychobiography. Prof. Elovitz was a founding faculty member at Ramapo College who previously taught at Temple, Rutgers, and Fairleigh Dickinson universities. Aside from teaching Western and World Civilizations, his focus on teaching was on American, English, and European history; childhood; gender; genocide; the Holocaust; identity; leadership; psychobiography; psychohistory; the psychology of creativity and innovation; and war and peace. Presently, he teaches post-graduate courses on creativity, psychoanalysis, psychobiography, and other aspects of psychohistory online at psychoanalytic institutes. A Festschrift honoring him is scheduled for publication in Clio’s Psyche in 2024. He may be contacted at .

How to cite this article

Elovitz, P. H. (2008). In memoriam: Otto Paul Pflanze [Memorial]. Clio’s Psyche, 15(2), 101.

https://doi.org/10.70763/25048eb6a33209cb5a815bff0cf6887c

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