Ulrich Marzolph
Table of Contents
Bert Fragner
Bert Fragner, an Austrian Iranologist and historian, focused on a broad range of topics in Iranian history, including political history from the medieval period to the modern era, economic and social history, administrative and institutional history, diplomatic studies, the cultural history of the Persian language, Iran in the context of global developments, Iranian cities and societies, as well as culinary culture. His coined term "Persophonia" is well known for its emphasis on the connection between land, language, and identity.
Date of birth and death
• Date of Birth and Death: 1914, November 27 – 2021, December 16
• Place of Birth: Austria
Life and Career
Fragner began his academic career in 1960 in his hometown of Vienna. Initially, he pursued studies in diverse fields such as Islamic studies, Arabic studies, Turkish studies, Iranology, Islamic studies, and ethnology. This broad array of disciplines reflected his deep and wide curiosity about the Islamic East, particularly in relation to Central Asia and Islamic India—an area beyond the traditional academic boundaries of the time (Hoffmann, 2022). In 1965, Fragner was awarded a scholarshipp and moved to the University of Tehran. During this period, he was mentored by prominent scholars such as Iraj Afshar, Mohammad-Jafar Mahjoub, Mojtaba Minovi, Manouchehr Sotoudeh, and Zabihollah Safā. When he decided to extend his stay in Iran, he took up a teaching position at a technical school in Tehran, under the supervision of the Austrian Ministry of Education, to support his living expenses. This five-year period (1965–1969) profoundly shaped his academic and professional trajectory, leading him to choose Iranology as the primary focus of his research. One of the key outcomes of his time in Iran was his remarkable command of the Persian language, a deep understanding of Iranian society and culture, and his ethnographic, empathetic perspective on Iran (Ibid). After receiving his PhD from the University of Vienna in 1970, Fragner joined the Oriental Studies department at the University of Freiburg as a researcher. His doctoral thesis examined the history of Hamadan during the early Islamic period (Hoffmann, 2022). In 1977, at Freiburg, he completed his dissertation on Qajar memoirs, which was published in 1979 (Haag-Higuchi, 2022). In 1985, Fragner was appointed as the Chair of Iranian Studies at the Freie Universität Berlin. This position allowed him to establish a comprehensive program on the historical and cultural studies of Iran from the Islamic period to the present. His approach to Iranian studies was cultural in nature, aiming to free the field from the traditional confines of Islamic studies, which had largely focused on Arab culture and religious matters (Hoffmann, 2022). During his tenure at Bamberg University (1989–2003), Fragner played a significant role in expanding the educational and research programs of the field. He also established a scholarship program, supported by the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), which allowed German students to study in Iran—this program continues, albeit with changes. Furthermore, after the Iran-Iraq war, he organized multiple academic trips to Iran to familiarize students with the country (Ibid).
Professional Background and Research Contributions
Fragner's research encompassed a wide range of areas, including the political history of Iran from the medieval period to the modern era, economic and social history, administrative and institutional history, diplomatic studies, the cultural history of the Persian language, Iran in the context of global developments, Iranian societies in the processes of modernization and identity formation, and culinary culture (Hoffmann, 2022). He examined all periods of Islamic Iranian history but had a particular interest in the Mongol and Safavid periods. Fragner analyzed Iran in the broader geopolitical context and historical processes of identity formation. His studies in diplomatic, administrative, and economic history demonstrated his focus on the foundations of social order and power structures. In an article published in 1983, he explored the relationship between the state and religious scholars (ʿOlamāʾ) from the Safavids to the Islamic Revolution, focusing on institutional and administrative structures (Haag-Higuchi, 2022). From the 1970s, his studies also expanded to Central Asia, where he played a key role in the development of this field. He turned Bamberg into one of the internationally recognized centers of Iranology (Haag-Higuchi, 2022). In 2003, Fragner was appointed head of the Iranology Institute at the Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften. In this position, he transformed the institute into one of the leading centers of Iranology in Europe. Even after retiring in 2009, he remained active in the field, continuing to work as a researcher, reviewer, advisor, and invited speaker at academic conferences (Hoffmann, 2022). Fragner’s research led to fundamental changes in scholarly approaches. In 1997, using territorial and hegemonic concepts, he introduced the Ilkhanate period as one of the cornerstones of Iran's territorial identity. In 1999, he coined the term "Persophonia" to describe the role of Persian language as a cross-regional communication language. This view went beyond the traditional Iran-centered perspective and overlaps with the concept of the "Persianate World" proposed by Marshall Hodgson (Haag-Higuchi, 2022).
Works
Thesis
- Fragner, B.G. (1972). Geschichte der Stadt Hamadān und ihrer Umgebung in den ersten sechs Jahrhunderten nach der Hiǧra. [Dissertationen der Universität Wien].
- . (1979). Persische Memoirenliteratur als Quelle zur neueren Geschichte Irans, Freiburger Islamstudien 7. Steiner.
- . (1999). Die “Persophonie”: Regionalität, Identität und Sprachkontakt in der Geschichte Asiens. Traugott Bautz.
- In a review of this book, John R. Perry writes that "Persophonia" or the "realm of the Persian language" refers to a temporal and spatial expanse whose geographical scope has varied, where the Persian language has been used extensively as a literary and/or lingua franca since the early centuries of Islam. This multifaceted and polycentric concept extends beyond linguistic identity and is greater than the sum of its parts; some of these components have previously been described by terms such as "Eastern Caliphate", "Islamic-Iranian cultural sphere", "Turk-Persian", and "Persianate world", The author wisely refrains from delving into the early transition from Middle Persian to New Persian during the Islamic period (7th to 9th centuries CE) and from examining the disintegration of Persian-speaking regions into modern nation-states (19th and 20th centuries), instead focusing on its pre-modern peak. He also attempts to distance himself from two extreme poles: on the one hand, romantic and nostalgic nationalism, and on the other, rigid genetic or geographic approaches in linguistics, as these often lead to such discussions. While the author conveys that this work is more of a developing idea than a final theory, he skillfully maintains a balance between description and theorization, analysis and enthusiasm (Perry, 2000).
- . (2021). Insatiable Appetite. Food as Cultural Signifier in the Middle East and Beyond (Islamic History and Civilization Vol. 163). Brill
- . (1983). Von den Staatstheologen zum Theologenstaat: Religiöse Führung und historischer Wandel im schiitischen Persien, Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes, 75, 73–98.
- . (1987). Islamic-Iranian Studies and Studies Concerning Iran in the Islamic Period in German-speaking Countries: Federal Republic of Germany, German Democratic Republic, Austria, and Switzerland. Iranian Studies, 20(2-4), 53-98.
- . (2019). The Mental Mapping of Iran, Identity and Patriotism in Early Modern Iran–The Case of Mohammad-e Mofīd. Studia Litteraria Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis, 14(Spec. Iss.), 59-73.
- . (2000). [Review of La Civiltà Timuride Come Fenomeno Internationale, by M. Bernardini]. Iranian Studies, 33(3/4), 470–477. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4311399
- . (1986). SOCIAL AND INTERNAL ECONOMIC AFFAIRS. In P. Jackson & L. Lockhart (Eds.), The Cambridge History of Iran (pp. 491–567). Cambridge University Press.
- . (1997). Iran under Ilkhanid Rule in a World-History Perspective. In D. Aigle (Ed.), L’Iran face à la domination mongole: Études (pp. 121-131). Bibliothèque iranienne.
- . (2021). Considerations on Literary Aspects of Persian Historiography. In B. Utas (Ed.), A History of Persian Literature (vol. 5, pp. 279-338). Persian Prose.
- . (2022). The End of the Timurid Empire. In The End of Empires (pp. 309-318). Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden.
- . (1995). Muslims in Central Asia: Expressions of Identity and Change, ed. Jo-Ann Gross, Durham and London: Duke University Press, 1992, xiv+ 224 pp., three maps, published in the Central Asia Book Series, library cloth edition 18.95. Iranian Studies, 28(1-2), 96-99.
- . (2015). Persian Cookbooks, the 'Myth' of National Cuisine and the Process of Modernisation. In A., Krasnowolska., R., Rusek-Kowalska (Eds.), Studies in the Iranian World. Proceedings of the 7th European Conference of Iranian Studies (vol. 2. pp. 305-318). Jagellonian University Press.
- . (2012). The Safavid Empire in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century. Political and Strategic Balance of Power within the World-System. In E., Herzig, & W., Floor (Eds.), Iran and the World in the Safavid Age (pp. 17-29). A. B. Tauris.
- . (2002). Mīr ʿAlī Shēr Navā´ī: The `Judgement´ reconsidered. In É.M., Jeremiás (Ed.), Irano-Turkic Cultural Contacts in the 11th-17th Centuries (pp. 53-66). The Avicenna Institute of Middle Eastern Studies.
- . (2002). World War I as a turning point in Iranian history. In O., Bast (Ed.), La Perse et la Grande Guerre (Bibliothèque Iranienne 52) (pp. 443-447). Teheran.
Sources
- Haag-Higuchi, R. (2022). Bert G. Fragner (1941–2021). Journal of Persianate Studies, 15(1), 147-151. https://doi.org/10.1163/18747167-bja10026 Hoffmann, B. (2022). Bert G. Fragner. Iranian Studies, 55, 599–601 doi:10.1017/irn.2022.9
- Perry, J. R. (2000). [Review of Die “Persophonie”: Regionalität, Identität und Sprachkontakt in der Geschichte Asiens, by B. G. Fragner]. Iranian Studies, 33(3/4), 452–455. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4311394
Further Reading
Khansari, K. (2017). The Festschrift for Professor Bert Fragner: A Collection of Writings on the Occasion of His 75th Birthday. Khaneh-ye Ketab. (In Persian)
Compiler
Masoumeh Karimi February 2025
Last edited
February 2025
