Joseph HENNINGER (1906–1991)

Henninger finished his initial education in his native Wiesbaden and joined the Society of the Divine Word in 1926. After completing his philosophical studies in St. Augustin near Bonn, he pursued the study of theology in Rome until gaining a doctoral degree at the Gregorian University (1934). His new assignment to Anthropos Institute, which at that time was still located in the SVD house in Mödling near Vienna, meant further education but this time in the field of ethnology and related disciplines. Henninger followed the wish of Wilhelm Schmidt to specialise in the study of the pre-Islamic Middle East and pursued his ethnological studies in Vienna, graduating, under Wilhelm Koppers’ supervision, with a doctoral degree in ethnology in 1936.
The unexpected assignment of Rudolf Rahmann, the then editor of Anthropos, to a new job at the university in Beijing, required finding a replacement for him at Anthropos. That was resolved by Schmidt taking back the full responsibility for the journal but leaving most of the work for his newly appointed deputy – Joseph Henninger. That arrangement lasted until 1949. Henninger became the chief editor again in 1977/78-1979, when editing of the journal was again jeopardised by lack of the new staff.
When the Institute was moved to a new place near Fribourg in Switzerland (1938), Henninger followed suit. Beside difficulties and challenges linked to the moving the Institute, the new place offered also new possibilities. Henninger obtained another degree (Habilitation) in 1945, which allowed him to teach at the University of Fribourg, first as an associate lecturer (Privatdozent), and eventually as a titular professor (1956). He held that position until 1974. Meanwhile, the Institute moved to Sankt Augustin near Bonn (1962) and Henninger was commissioned also to lecture at the University of Bonn (1964-1974). These were not his only teaching positions, since he had already lectured on ethnology, the study of religion and linguistics in St. Gabriel SVD Seminary before 1938 and at the SVD Philosophical-Theological Hochschule at St. Augustin since 1963.
Meanwhile, Henninger also took care of the growing library of the Institute and made sure that the books were rightly catalogued and accessible. He experienced the relocation of the library twice (1938 and 1962) and had to make sure that the library functioned well in the new place.
He never undertook any field research and was one of “armchair scholars”. His total commitment to the journal and the Institute meant that he found no time to work on any monumental research project but he was a master of shorter forms and published widely his research (some of his articles and reviews were collected and appeared in two book publications – Arabica sacra, 1981 and Arabica varia, 1989). He also wrote more than 500 book reviews (some 400 alone for Anthropos).
His research focused on the Arab-Semitic world (Middle East, North and East Africa) and the ancient Semitic societies. Although the issue of sacrifice belonged to one of his prominent research themes, he also published on the social structure and religious beliefs of these societies. Since his interests extended into the period marked by Islam, he also wrote on the Islamic image of God, Christian influences on Islam and the spread of Islam.
Arnold Burgmann, his long-time colleague, remarked that Henninger spent more time with Wilhelm Schmidt than any other SVD member and was seen as someone who had the best insight into Schmidt’s mental world.