Wilhelm Pauck

Who was Wilhelm Pauck?

Wilhelm Pauck was born in Laasphe, in Westphalia, Germany [today, Bad Laasphe], January 31, 1901, and died in Palo Alto, California, September 3, 1981. A German-American church historian and historical theologian in the field of Reformation studies, Pauck's fifty-year teaching career reached from the University of Chicago and Union Theological Seminary, to Vanderbilt and Stanford universities. His impact was extended through frequent lectures and visiting appointments in the U.S. and Europe. Pauck served as a bridge between the historical-critical study of Protestant theology at the University of Berlin and U.S. universities, seminaries, and divinity schools. Combining high critical acumen with a keen sense of the drama of human history, in his prime Pauck was considered the Dean of historical theology in the United States. In the course of his career he became associated with Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Tillich as friend, colleague, and confidant.