Dieter Claessens (2 August 1921 in Berlin – 30 March 1997 in Berlin) was a German sociologist and anthropologist.
Life
Returning as POW from the Soviet Union Dieter Claessens studied sociology, anthropology, and psychology in Berlin, where he got his doctorate (Dr. phil.) from the Freie Universität in 1957. He took his sociological post-doctoral degree (Habilitation) from the University of Münster, where he was called to a Chair of Sociology in 1962. 1966 he returned as professor to the Free University, and retired there 1986, continuing his research work until his death in Berlin, 1997.
He got his reputation especially for his pioneering work on the sociological dimension of both ontogenesis[1] and phylogenesis.[2]
Publications
Status als entwicklungssoziologischer Begriff, 1965
(with Daniel Tyradellis) Konkrete Soziologie. Verständliche Einführung in soziologisches Denken, 1997
On Dieter Claessens
Biruta Schaller / Hermann Pfütze / Reinhart Wolff (Eds.): Schau unter jeden Stein. Merkwürdiges aus Kultur und Gesellschaft. Dieter Claessens zum 60. Geburtstag. Frankfurt on Main / Basel 1981
References
^Familie und Wertsystem. Eine Studie zur zweiten sozio-kulturellen Geburt des Menschen, 4. ed. 1978