Jost Trier

German philologist

Jost Trier (15 December 1894 – 15 September 1970) was a German philologist who was Chair of German Philology at the University of Münster from 1932 to 1961.

Jost Trier was born in Schlitz, Hesse, Germany on 15 December 1894, the son of physician Jost Christian Ludwig Trier (1859 1939) and Else Nehrkorn. After graduating from gymnasium in Barmen in 1914, Trier studied Roman philology, German philology, comparative linguistics and art history at the University of Freiburg. His studies were interrupted by World War I, during which Trier served in the Imperial German Army. He was eventually captured by the French, and was since February 1915 interned in a prisoner of war camp in French Algeria. Trier was infected by malaria in 1916, and was subsequently interned in Switzerland, where he was able to continue his studies at the University of Basel (1916 1918). After the war, he continued his studies at the universities of Berlin (1918 1919) and Marburg (1919 1920), and subsequently worked as a secondary school teacher. Trier gained his PhD at the University of Freiburg in 1923 with a thesis on ethnology, etymology and culture. After gaining his PhD, Trier taught at the University of Marburg. Since 1932, Trier was Chair of German Philology at the University of Münster. Trier specialized in Germanic linguistics, particularly etymology. He was a friend of Dutch philologist Jan de Vries. A teacher and lecturer of considerable ability, Trier played an instrumental role in reviving the field of German studies after World War II. He was the founder and leader of a number of important associations and institutes for German studies. From 1957 to 1957, Trier was Rector at the University of Münster. He retired in 1963.