George B. von der Lippe, Ph.D., professor of German in the modern languages and literature department, died Monday, Nov. 2, after a lengthy illness. He was 61.
Born in Newton, Mass., Professor von der Lippe started teaching at Saint Anselm
in 1982, after receiving a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Wesleyan University and his master’s and doctorate degrees in German language and literature from Brown University. His scholarship involved groundbreaking literary detective work comparing Edgar Allan Poe and E.T.A. Hoffman.
At Saint Anselm, in addition to teaching all levels of German, he taught courses in humanities, business German, composition and conversation, and German civilization and culture. He chaired the modern languages and literature department for a number of years and directed the German certificate program.
An avid boxing fan, Professor von der Lippe translated and edited Germany’s best-selling book, Max Schmeling: an autobiography, for an English audience. He came across the autobiography while in Heidelberg and translated it so fans could learn more about the legendary heavyweight boxer.
He also specialized in German reformation, romanticism, and the Weimar Republic-Third Reich, writing about Martin Luther’s influence on German culture and literature through the 20th century in The Figure of Martin Luther in Twentieth-Century German Literature, the Metamorphosis of a National Symbol. He also translated and edited an important World War II novel critical of the Nazi regime.
Professor von der Lippe’s involvement at Saint Anselm went beyond scholarship and the classroom. He volunteered for senior week, freshman orientation and faculty committees. He organized the German Table, advised the German Club, and counseled students interested in studying in Germany as part of study abroad.
Elizabeth Fouts, associate professor of Spanish in modern languages and literature, remembers Professor von der Lippe’s intense dedication to scholarship, teaching and the college.
“He was an incredibly smart academic who had a wide variety of scholarly interests, and he was passionate about whatever project he was working on, whether it was Max Schmeling, the Anabaptists or the final year report for the department,” she said.
His devotion to an effort could be so complete that he would sleep in his office, she said. When his work was done, however, he would emerge full of interest in his friends, seeking updates on them and their families.
His family includes a son, Christopher C. von der Lippe of Manchester; his mother, Inez (Buckingham) Lawrence of Goffstown; and his former wife, Angela von der Lippe of New York, NY.
Calling hours will be held Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Lambert Funeral Home, 1799 Elm St., Manchester. The funeral service will be held Thursday, Nov. 5, at 10 a.m. at the St. Anselm Abbey Church on the campus of St. Anselm College. Burial will follow in Woodlawn Cemetery, Wellesley, Mass.
Donations may be made to Elliot Hospital Fitch Unit, Attn: Sharon Kostansek, 1 Elliot Way, Manchester, NH 03103.