Jakob Langebek | |
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 Portrait attributed toJohan Hörner |
Jakob Langebek (23 January 1710 - 16 August 1775) was aDanishhistorian, linguist, lexicographer, and archivist.[1]
He was born at Skjoldborg Parish inThisted Municipality, Denmark. His father was a parish priest.
He obtained his education at theUniversity of Copenhagen Langebek became a theology candidate in 1732. He was a favored student of historianHans Gram.[2]He studied Danish history, and it was by critical articles on contemporary writers in this field that he attracted attention. In 1737, he was employed at theDanish Royal Library and in 1748 he became an archivist.
In 1745 he founded a society for the study of the language and history of Denmark,Det kongelige danske Selskab for Fædrelandets Historie og Sprog (Royal Danish Society for Fatherland History and Language),[3] and was its perpetualarchivist. He edited the society's journalDanske Magazin (1745–53). His works consist of valuable contributions on his favorite subject to the journals, and to theDanske Magazin, which he edited and nearly all of which he wrote himself. His most important work was a collection of Danish historical documents from theMiddle Ages, titledScriptores Rerum Danicarum Medii Œvi (1772–1774). He was unable to finish its publication,[2] and the work was completed byPeter Frederik Suhm and others from original papers (1778). He also collected material for a Danishdictionary. A collection of his letters was published in 1794.[4]
Langebek was elected a foreign member of theRoyal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1753. He died at Copenhagen during 1775.[1]
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