Walter Hugo Hermann Baetke (28 March 1884 [Sternberg] – 15 February1978 [Leipzig]), was a German medievalist whose manifold studies on the history of Germanic religions, Old Norse mythology, and saga literature had a significant impact on international Scandinavian studies. Baetke played an important role in the reestablishment of the study of Germanic religions after World War II, as well as in the scholarly and public perception of Old Norse literature in the second half of the twentieth century. His Old Icelandic-German dictionary, compiled together with his main assistant Rolf Heller but commonly called “The Baetke”, has been the standard reference in the field since the late 1960s (Baetke 1965–68 (8th edition 2008)).

Baetke enrolled in English studies, German studies,

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Citation: van Nahl, Jan Alexander. "Walter Baetke". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 November 2022 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14826, accessed 03 October 2024.]

14826 Walter Baetke 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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