Wilhelm von Humboldt

Born in Potsdam on June 22, 1767, Wilhelm von Humboldt was a Prussian philosopher, linguist, diplomat, and educational reformer. He is often remembered as the founder of the University of Berlin, later named Humboldt University, and as the elder brother of the naturalist Alexander von Humboldt.

Humboldt believed that language was far more than a tool for communication: for him, it shaped how people understand the world. His work on language, culture, and national character made him an important early thinker in comparative linguistics and helped inspire later ideas in ethnolinguistics and the philosophy of language.

He also played a major role in education reform in Prussia, arguing that learning should develop the whole person rather than serve only narrow practical goals. Alongside his public career as a statesman and diplomat, he wrote influential reflections on liberty, individuality, and the purpose of education, which continue to attract readers well beyond his own time.