Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft

Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft was a German-language scholarly periodical devoted to musicology. It began publication in 1918 and was issued in Leipzig by the established music publisher Breitkopf & Härtel. The journal was edited on behalf of the German Music Society, also identified in English-language reference material as the German Society for Musicology, placing it within the institutional development of musicological scholarship in Germany during the early twentieth century. The journal’s first editor was the musicologist Alfred Einstein, who held the editorial role from its launch. Einstein was a prominent scholar of music history and theory, and his involvement gave the publication a significant connection to the academic musicological culture of the period. The journal served as a venue for specialist research and discussion rather than as a general-interest music magazine. Its subject area was musicology, encompassing the historical and analytical study of music and related scholarly topics. The publication’s history was affected by the political transformation of Germany after the National Socialist seizure of power. In 1933, Alfred Einstein was forced to relinquish the editorial office, which was taken over by Max Schneider. This change reflected the broader pressures placed on cultural and academic institutions during the National Socialist era. The journal continued for two further years and ceased publication in 1935. Its publishing and editorial continuity was partly carried forward by Archiv für Musikforschung, which appeared from 1936 to 1943. The successor retained Breitkopf & Härtel as publisher and the same editorial institutional connection, although it was a distinct periodical rather than a simple continuation of the original title. Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft should also be distinguished from Frankfurter Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft, an unrelated journal edited by Wolfgang Krebs at Goethe University Frankfurt from 1998 until its discontinuation. The earlier journal is catalogued in the journal database of the Berlin State Library under ZDB-ID 203046-9.

Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft was established in 1918 as a specialist musicology periodical in Leipzig. Its publisher was Breitkopf & Härtel, one of the historically important German music publishing houses, while editorial responsibility was associated with the German Music Society, also rendered in English-language reference material as the German Society for Musicology. The journal therefore belonged to the institutional and scholarly infrastructure of German musicology rather than to the commercial popular-music press. Alfred Einstein served as editor from the journal’s first publication. His tenure connected the periodical with a leading musicologist of the era and helped establish its scholarly identity. The journal’s principal function was to provide a forum for academic work in musicology, including research concerned with the historical and systematic study of music. Available reference material does not provide a complete contents list or detailed account of individual articles, so the precise range of recurring subjects cannot be reconstructed here without additional bibliographic evidence. The journal’s institutional history changed after the National Socialist takeover in Germany. In 1933, Einstein was forced to surrender the editorial office, and Max Schneider assumed the role. This editorial replacement was part of the wider political pressure exerted on cultural and academic life during the period. The title continued for two years after the change and ended publication in 1935. A successor, Archiv für Musikforschung, appeared from 1936 to 1943. The successor was published and edited through the same general institutional and publishing arrangement, but it was a separate title. Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft is consequently best understood as a discontinued historical journal with an important place in the development of German musicological publishing, not as a currently active media brand. The title is recorded in the Berlin State Library’s journal database under ZDB-ID 203046-9. It should not be confused with Frankfurter Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft, abbreviated FZMw and assigned ISSN 1438-857X. That later journal was edited by Wolfgang Krebs at Goethe University Frankfurt from 1998 and has since been discontinued; it is unrelated to the Leipzig publication.

• 1936

  Successor title appears

  [1]Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaften.wikipedia.org

  Archiv für Musikforschung began publication as the successor periodical and continued until 1943.

• 1935

  End of publication

  [1]Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaften.wikipedia.org

  The original journal ceased publication after a run of approximately seventeen years.

• 1933

  Editorial transition under National Socialism

  [1]Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaften.wikipedia.org

  Alfred Einstein was forced out of the editorial office and Max Schneider took over as editor.

• 1918

  Launch of the journal

  [1]Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaften.wikipedia.org

  Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft began publication in Leipzig through Breitkopf & Härtel, with editorial responsibility associated with the German Music Society.

A specialist German-language academic journal positioned within institutional musicology and focused on scholarly research rather than mass-market music coverage.

• Academic journal · 1918

  Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft

  The core and apparently sole product of the brand was a German-language scholarly journal devoted to musicology. Published in Leipzig by Breitkopf & Härtel from 1918 to 1935, it provided an institutional outlet for musicological research and editorial discussion. The available reference material identifies the publication’s editors and successor but does not enumerate individual recurring sections or article series.

• Successor academic journal · 1936

  Archiv für Musikforschung

  Archiv für Musikforschung was the successor periodical to Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft. It appeared from 1936 to 1943 under the same broad publisher and editorial continuity described in the reference material. It was a distinct title rather than a currently active edition of the original journal.

• 1935

  Publication discontinuedOther

  Background

  The journal had been published in Leipzig since 1918 and continued for two years after the 1933 editorial change.

  Action taken

  Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft ended publication.

  Aftermath

  A successor title, Archiv für Musikforschung, began in 1936 and ran until 1943.

  Source

• 1933

  Editorial office transferred to Max SchneiderStrategy

  Background

  During the National Socialist era, Alfred Einstein was forced to leave the journal’s editorial office.

  Action taken

  Max Schneider assumed editorial responsibility for the publication.

  Aftermath

  The journal continued until 1935, after which Archiv für Musikforschung appeared as its successor from 1936.

  Source

1. 1Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaften.wikipedia.org
2. 2Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft in the journal database of the Berlin State Libraryzdb-katalog.de