Prussian „Herrenmensch“ and Vienna Marxist: Unreconciled

Abstract

This paper documents the relationship between two sociologists who turned from colleagues to friends: the late Austrian Marxist Heinz Steinert and the German Max Weber-scholar Dirk Kaesler. It reconstructs the mutual exchanges about their common occupation with Max Weber’s work, in particular his Protestant Ethic-studies. It reconstructs the expedition of Heinz Steinert into the field of Max Weber-research and it evaluates the outcome of Steinert’s own research in this field. The paper concludes with some speculation about the motifs of the deep and lasting furor this Viennese Marxist held against the Prussian “Herrenmensch” Max Weber.