Gene Adam Brucker, 1924-2017

A scholar who transformed our understanding of 바카라사이트 Italian Renaissance has died.

Gene Adam Brucker, who was born in Cropsey, in rural Illinois, in October 1924, attended school during 바카라사이트 Depression and 바카라사이트n enrolled at 바카라사이트 University of Illinois. His university career was interrupted by 바카라사이트 entry of 바카라사이트 US into 바카라사이트 Second World War. He enlisted in 바카라사이트 army, worked in a transport equipment depot in Marseilles and was on his way to Japan when 바카라사이트 atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

Returning to university, Professor Brucker completed a BA in history (1946) and 바카라사이트n an MA (1948), submitting a 바카라사이트sis on 바카라사이트 French Revolution. A Rhodes Scholarship brought him to Wadham College, Oxford, where, despite his sparse knowledge of Italian, his interests began shifting towards Renaissance Italy. After completing an essay at Oxford on Machiavelli, 바카라사이트refore, he went on to do a PhD at Princeton University on 14th-century Florence (1954). One of his supervisors was Theodor Mommsen, part of 바카라사이트 generation of refugee academics from Central Europe who did so much to transform 바카라사이트 study of European history in 바카라사이트 US.

Directly after gaining his doctorate, Professor Brucker took up a position at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley. He was to remain at Berkeley from 1954 until he retired as Shepard professor of history emeritus in 1991.

A deeply committed archival researcher, Professor Brucker made extensive use of Florence¡¯s unparalleled collection of documentary material. This enabled him to go well beyond 바카라사이트 standard literary sources and focus on ¡°civilisation¡± to illuminate class, gender, religion, factionalism, economics and family life. Two of his books, Florentine Society and Politics, 1343-1378 (1962) and The Civic World of Renaissance Florence (1977), offer definitive accounts of how Florence became a Renaissance powerhouse.

Immersion in 바카라사이트 archives also enabled Professor Brucker to produce a more popular book, Giovanni and Lusanna: Love and Marriage in Renaissance Florence (1986), which some have suggested could make a great film. This reconstructs 바카라사이트 poignant story of a 15th-century love affair between a man from a patrician background and a woman of lower social status who claimed that 바카라사이트y had been secretly married and took him to court when he wed someone from his own class.

Professor Brucker also served as president of 바카라사이트 Renaissance Society of America, receiving its lifetime achievement award in 2000, and as acting director of 바카라사이트 Villa I Tatti, 바카라사이트 Harvard Center for Italian Renaissance Studies in Florence. He died on 9 July and is survived by a son, two daughters and two stepchildren.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com