Walther Kranz

Walther Kranz ( [kʀants]; November 23, 1884 in Georgsmarienhutte – September 18, 1960 in Bonn) was a German classical philologist and historian of philosophy.

Kranz studied Classical Philology at Berlin from 1903 to 1907 with Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorf, Hermann Diels and Eduard Norden. He received his doctorate in 1910 with Wilamowitz-Moellendorf. For several years he was a teacher at the Berlin Grunewald experimental school. In 1932, he joined the University of Halle as honorary professor of classical languages . He took over the publication of "Fragments of the pre-Socratic " from the 5th Edition onwards. After the takeover by the Nazis, he experienced political difficulties because his wife was Jewish. In 1937 he lost his full teaching license and in 1943, he accepted an invitation from the University of Istanbul and taught there until 1950. From 1950 to 1955 he served as Honorary Professor of Ancient History at the University of Bonn. He died in Bonn in 1960.