Hermann Friederich Weiss

Hermann Friederich Weiss of Dexter, Michigan died peacefully on March 18th, 2026 following a short illness. He was born on June 17th, 1937, in Beuel, Germany, a suburb of Bonn, to Hildegard (Kemmerich) Weiss and Arnold Weiss. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Ursula (Weiss) Heppekausen, his ex-wife Ruth (Dressler) Weiss, and a number of friends. He is survived by his loving wife Rebecca (Becky) Hoort, brothers Robert Weiss and Gebhardt Weiss, nieces, nephews, cousins on both his and Rebecca's sides, and many friends, neighbors and colleagues.

As a young child in Germany, Hermann experienced World War II and its aftermath. He grew up in the village of Vilich outside of Bonn, where his family returned after the war. He attended Bonn University as an undergraduate.

Even as a teen he was keen on travel and took bicycle trips, often with a brother or friends. He spent time in England and a year of college in Aberdeen, Scotland. He then enjoyed a year at St. Andrews University, where he taught German and German studies. He loved the social life at St. Andrews, as well as explorations of the Scottish countryside, especially the west coast, often hitchhiking to his destinations.

His time studying and teaching in English speaking countries encouraged him to look for employment at an American university, perhaps teaching German studies. He spent a year as a lecturer at the University of Oregon, where he fell in love with his ex-wife and also with the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. He then obtained his Ph.D. in German studies at Princeton University.

Hermann spent his academic career at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, teaching German language and literature. He enjoyed his students, his teaching and his field of research, becoming known for his work on several German authors of the early nineteenth century.

Archival work took him to numerous locations in Europe and he included time to visit his family in Germany on those trips. He published his book Funde und Studien zu Heinrich von Kleist in 1984. Hermann edited or co-edited a number of volumes, and wrote dozens of articles in his field. A recent crowning achievement was his discovery of five previously unknown letters by one of the most important German Romantic period writers, Heinrich von Kleist. His find was published in the Kleist-Jahrbuch, 2025 and was announced far and wide in the German speaking countries. Hermann received support for his research from the UM German department, even throughout his long retirement.

Upon retirement, Hermann's early experience of war and its aftermath led him to an interest in researching the topic of German forced labor camps. He wrote many entries for an encyclopedia of the Holocaust that will be published online, and his book, Buschvorwerk im Riesengebirge, Eine Gemeinde in Niederschlesien von den Kriegsjahren bis zur Vertreibung, (2004) in part explored his and his family's personal wartime experience during the period when his father worked as a civil engineer at a factory that employed forced labor in a beautiful, mountainous area of Silesia. The contrast between the idyllic location where the family lived and the evils of forced labor at the factory was something that occupied Hermann's mind.

After meeting Becky, Hermann and she often traveled together. They broadened their explorations to places like Tanzania, India and Indonesia. Favorite places to visit in the U.S. included Oregon and Hawaii.

Hermann loved nature and was very serious about taking measures to protect the environment. Much of his time in the summer was spent at a beloved lake near his home. He was one of the leaders in a group that saved the lake from development and his lake friends were very important to him. He also loved good, fresh food, and was a faithful patron of the Ann Arbor Farmers Market for 58 years.

Hermann and Becky lived for twelve years at a cohousing community in Ann Arbor. They appreciated this concept of intentional community and Hermann made it a priority to maintain contacts and friendships there even after moving away.

Music was another of Hermann's loves and he enjoyed many genres from classical to jazz. In the past few years he developed a popular concert program at the senior community where he and Becky lived, which employed advanced students from the University of Michigan School of Music. He also enjoyed doing his own form of interpretive dance to music that inspired him.

Hermann was passionate about life in general and remained intensely curious and intellectually engaged throughout. He loved to tell stories. He had a special rapport with children and loved young people of all ages.

A memorial celebration of Hermann Weiss's life will be held at First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor on June 20, 2026 at 1:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Food Gatherers in Ann Arbor or to another of your favorite food distribution pantries. Other options for contributions are The Ecology Center in Ann Arbor or the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures at The University of Michigan.