Friedmann, Robert (1891-1970)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1970 Aug 6 p. 3

Birth date: 1891 Jul 9

text of obituary:

Anabaptist Scholar Called Away in Death

THE Mennonite church lost a brilliant and widely known Anabaptist scholar in the death of Dr. Robert Friedmann, 79, who died July 28 in Kalamazoo, Mich., after having suffered from a kidney ailment for several months.

Born of Jewish parents June 9, 1891, in Vienna, Austria, Friedmann studied at Vienna University, where he received the Ph. D. degree in 1924. As a young scholar he engaged in Anabaptist research, which led to a growing interest in the New Testament and his eventual conversion to the Christian faith.

AFTER immigrating to America in 1939, he was named an honorary fellow at Yale Divinity School and in 1940 came to Goshen College as a research fellow in Anabaptist and Mennonite history. He also served as librarian for the new Mennonite Historical Library at Goshen. Later he specialized in Hutterite history, a subject on which he later did extensive writing and lecturing.

In 1945 he was appointed to the faculty of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, where he taught intellectual history, philosophy and religion until his retirement in 1963.

WHILE at Goshen, he Joined the Eighth Street Mennonite Church and continued his membership there until his death.

Funeral services were conducted at the Friends Meetinghouse in Kalamazoo on Thursday, July 30.

Dr. Friedmann is survived by his wife, Betty, and two sons, John Friedmann of Los Angeles and Martin Friedmann of Seattle.