Herman Freudenberger,
Professor Emeritus
Department of Economics
Tulane Emeritus Professor Herman Freudenberger, PhD., passed away on February 10, 2017, in Houston, Texas, at the age of 94. Herman was born on April 14, 1922 in Eberbach, Germany. By 1933, Herman’s father realized that there was no future for his son in Germany and he got in touch with an organization called the German Jewish Children’s Aid. At the age of 12, Herman migrated to the United States and was fortunate enough to be raised by an altruistic family in Chicago, Illinois. When the U.S. entered World War II, Herman volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army -- but was rejected because he was considered an enemy alien due to his German heritage. Eventually, the U.S. Government changed its mind and Herman joined the army. After the war, Herman worked in his foster family’s business and later enrolled in college under the G.I. Bill. Herman completed his Bachelor of Science at Columbia University in 1950, participated in a Fulbright Scholarship during 1955, and completed his Ph.D. in history at Columbia University in 1957. He was an instructor at Brooklyn College, 1956 –1960, and an assistant professor at the University of Montana in 1960-1962. Herman joined Tulane’s faculty in 1962 as an Associate Professor and was promoted to Full Professor in 1966. After completing 30 years of service, Herman retired from Tulane University in 1992.
Herman’s research was primarily focused on early industrialization in central Europe. His published books include The Industrialization of a Central European City (Edington, Pasold Research Fund, 1977), Von der Provinzstadt zur Industrieregion (Brunn-Studie) (co-author Gerhard Mensch) (Gottingen, Vanderhoek and Ruprecht, 1975), The Waldstein Woollen Mill (Boston, Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, 1963), and Memoirs of Joseph Prost C.Ss.R: A Redemptorist Missionary in Ireland 1851-1854 (Cork University Press, 1998) (co-author Emmet Larkin). He published more than 30 academic journal articles, including most recently “A Peculiar Sample: A Reply to Steckel and Ziebarth,” Journal of Economic History, 76(1) (March 2016), pp. 139-162 (co-author Jonathan Pritchett).
Herman was a steadfast supporter of Tulane throughout his career here and during his retirement. He will be missed by his colleagues and his former students.