Alfred Eckhard Zimmern

Who was Alfred Eckhard Zimmern?

Sir Alfred Eckhard Zimmern was a British classical scholar and historian, and political scientist writing on international relations. He was a supporter of Zionism.

Zimmern was born in Surbiton, Surrey, UK. His father was a naturalised British citizen, born in Germany to Jewish parents. Alfred was brought up a Christian, and was later an active participant in the World Council of Churches. He was educated at Winchester College, and read classics at New College, Oxford. At Berlin University, he came under the influence of Wilamowitz and Meyer. The writers and translators Helen Zimmern and Alice Zimmern were cousins of his.

He was one of the first, in his book The Third British Empire, to use the expression "British Commonwealth" for the British Empire He is also credited with the phrase "welfare state", made popular a few years later by William Temple.