Editing Georg Simmel (section)

=== Early life and education ===
Georg Simmel was born in [[Berlin]], [[Germany]], as the youngest of seven children to an [[Jewish assimilation|assimilated Jewish]] family. His father, Eduard Simmel (1810–1874), a prosperous businessman and convert to [[Roman catholic|Roman Catholicism]], had founded a confectionery store called "Felix & Sarotti" that would later be taken over by a [[Sarotti|chocolate manufacturer]]. His mother Flora Bodstein (1818–1897) came from a Jewish family who had converted to [[Lutheranism]]. Georg, himself, was [[baptized]] as a [[Protestant]] when he was a child.<ref name="The Sociology of Georg Simmel">[[Kurt Heinrich Wolff|Wolff, Kurt H.]] 1950. [[iarchive:sociologyofgeorg030082mbp|''The Sociology of Georg Simmel'']]. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.</ref> 
His father died in 1874, when Georg was 16, leaving a sizable inheritance.<ref>[[Horst Helle|Helle, Horst J.]] 2009. "Introduction to the translation." ''Sociology: inquiries into the construction of social forms'' 1. Leiden, HL: [[Brill Publishers|Koninklijke Brill]]. p. 12.</ref> Georg was then adopted by Julius Friedländer, the founder of an international music publishing house known as Peters Verlag, who endowed him with the large fortune that enabled him to become a scholar.<ref>Coser, Lewis A. 1977. "[http://socio.ch/sim/bio.htm Georg Simmel: Biographic Information]." In  ''Masters of Sociological Thought: Ideas in Historical and Social Context'' (2nd ed.). New York: [[Harcourt (publisher)|Harcourt Brace Jovanovich]].</ref>

Beginning in 1876, Simmel studied [[philosophy]] and [[history]] at the [[Humboldt University of Berlin]],<ref name="GS-society">"[http://www.simmel-gesellschaft.de/00_simmel/biostud.htm Biografie]" {{in lang|de}}. Section: "Studien und Ehe" (university studies and marriage). Georg Simmel Gesellschaft. simmel-gesellschaft.de. Retrieved 17 January 2018.</ref> going on to receive his doctorate in 1881 for his thesis on [[Kantian philosophy]] of matter, titled "{{Langx|de|Das Wesen der Materie nach Kants Physischer Monadologie|label=none|italic=no}}" ("The Nature of Matter According to Kant's Physical Monadology").<ref name="GS-society" />

In 1885, Simmel became a ''[[privatdozent]]'' at the [[Humboldt University of Berlin|University of Berlin]], officially lecturing in philosophy but also in [[ethics]], [[logic]], [[pessimism]], [[art]], [[psychology]] and [[sociology]].<ref name=":0">"[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Georg-Simmel Georg Simmel]." ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'', 2020 [1999].</ref> His lectures were not only popular inside the university, but attracted the intellectual elite of Berlin as well. Although his applications for vacant chairs at German universities were supported by [[Max Weber]], Simmel remained an [[academic]] outsider. However, with the support of an inheritance from his guardian, he was able to pursue his scholarly interests for many years without needing a salaried position.<ref name="Palmisano">Palmisano, Joseph&nbsp;M. 2001. "Georg Simmel." ''World of Sociology''. Detroit: [[Gale (publisher)|Gale]]. Retrieved 17 January 2018 via ''Biography in Context'' database.</ref>

Simmel had a hard time gaining acceptance in the academic community despite the support of well known associates, such as [[Max Weber]], [[Rainer Maria Rilke]], [[Stefan George]] and [[Edmund Husserl]]. This was partly because he was seen as a Jew during an era of anti-Semitism, but also simply because his articles were written for a general audience rather than academic sociologists. This led to dismissive judgements from other professionals. Simmel nevertheless continued his intellectual and academic work, as well as taking part in artistic circles.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}