Migrations are a fundamental fact of our world today. People migrate to different places for many reasons. Fuat Sezgin is one of those who have lived the migration in almost every time of his life. The main goal of the migration in Fuat Sezgin's life was education-oriented. The main reason why to get a good education in his childhood was to Erzurum first, then to Istanbul for university education and after his expulsion from Istanbul University. He was an immigrant in Germany. Migration to Frankfurt, Fuat Sezgin's scientific production has led to perhaps reach as much as if staying in Turkey.
Fuat Sezgin's life is full of migrations. We come across two types of migration in Sezgin's life, both internal and external. The main criterion of these migrations stems from the aim of getting a better education. Fuat Sezgin studied elementary school in Doğu Beyazıt and middle and high school in Erzurum. The second migration in his life happens to Istanbul. In 1943, he entered the Department of Arabic Language and Literature at Istanbul University. Istanbul University was one of the most developed university. The fact that many foreign scientists were working at this university brought the level of the university to the international level.
His second stop, Istanbul University, began his education in Arabic Language Literature, which can be seen as the turning point of his great work in the field of Islamic Science History. It is a great chance for him to study at the Institute of Oriental Studies of Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, alongside Hellmut Ritter (1892 - 1971). Many experiences, such as positive and negative, appear with migration. One of the biggest gains for Fuat Sezgin was that he met Hellmut Ritter at the same university. Helmut Ritter and disciplined as the accumulation of long years as a result of this forced migration was brought to Turkey.
A huge amount of ground in terms of their effects on Turkey's political blows. The first of these coups was the 1960 coup. Following the coup of 27 May 1960, important developments were experienced in universities. At the beginning of these developments, the ’Event of 147’ comes. On October 28, 1960, the law no. 114 adopted by the MBK (National Committee) dismissed 28 ordinary professors, 57 professors, associate professors, and assistants from the university. The fact that going to Germany and finding itself in a very intensive work here has turned the negativity of the coup into a positive study.
Sezgin's scientific discipline from Ritter showed in his work in Frankfurt. This habit has now become his philosophy of life. For the first time in Frankfurt, Sezgin witnesses an effort by Europeans to write a book on the History of Islamic Sciences by an international committee. But Sezgin, acting faster than this committee, published his first book in 1967. At first, the committee did not expect a Muslim Turk to write such a book in the context of his own scientific disciplines. But with the emergence of Sezgin’s book, the committee abolished itself. In his book, ‘Geschichte des Arabischen Schrifttum’ Sezgin writes a book that transcends Brockelmann's biography. Although this work is seen as a bibliography, it is ultimately the History of Islamic Science written by the most accurate sources available. As a result of the opportunities given to him, Sezgin went on a journey to get and study the history of Islamic Science when he heard about any work or instrument in all branches of science such as physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, astronomy and geography. These studies were prepared and then many editions were critical, modern research methods were classified, analyzed, translated and printed just like. The total of these studies reached 1200 volumes.
In 1978 he was awarded the King Faisal Islamic Sciences Prize in 1982 to establish the ‘Institut für Geschichte der Arabisch-Islamischen Wissenschaften of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University’. The establishment of this institute has two main objectives. First, despite the work of the orientalists, studies on the History of Islamic Science were at an early stage. Therefore, the boundaries of research in this area had to be expanded. Second, in the history of general sciences, it was believed that a group should carry out studies to complete well-known parts and to correct known errors. In this context, the theoretical studies were further expanded, and a museum displaying the works that appeal to the senses within the institute was opened. The works produced by Muslim scientists have been published just like this. This museum has exhibited more than 800 works. All of Sezgin's effort stems from his desire to show the place of Islamic History of Sciences in the History of Sciences.
Sezgin not only contented with this museum but also brought the Library of the History of Islamic Sciences to researchers with approximately 45,000 volumes of books and 10,000 microfilms brought from many parts of the world. For the Islamic History of Scientists, it is a great opportunity to gather all these works in one center. Today, a similar museum in Frankfurt, Istanbul Gulhane Park, was built in 2008.
Fuat Sezgin contributed to the History of Islamic Science in many ways. One of these works is the publication of a journal entitled its ‘Zeitschrift für Geschichte der Arabisch-Islamischen Wissenschaften (Journal of Arab-Islamic Sciences)’. In the journal, there are publications and related articles in the field of Islamic Science History. Another positive effect of the immigration to Frankfurt was that Sezgin has made friends with and benefited from orientalist academics working on the History of Sciences.
Göçler insanlığın varlığıyla birlikte başlamıştır. Birden fazla nedenden kaynaklı göçlerle karşılaşmaktayız. Göç çeşitlerinden biri de bilimsel nedenlerden kaynaklı göçlerdir. Bu göç türü, yetenekli ve iyi eğitimli bireylerin gittikleri ülkede daha iyi araştırma imkânı, daha fazla bilgiye ulaşma, daha yüksek ücret gibi nedenlerden kaynaklanmaktadır. Bu bağlamda bu göç türünün ulaşım imkânlarının gelişmesiyle yoğun bir şekilde gerçekleştiğine şahit olmaktayız. İslam Bilim Tarihi alanında öncü çalışmalar yapan Fuat Sezgin, göçü hayatının her safhasında deneyimlemiştir. Göç, Fuat Sezgin’in bilim dünyasına kazandırdıklarının temel motivasyon kaynaklarından biridir. Göç, onun hayatının ilk zamanlarında çeşitli zorluklar oluştursa da, o bu zorlukları daima fırsata dönüştürmesini bilmiştir. 1960 Darbesi sonrası üniversitelerden birçok bilim insanı atıldı. 147’likler olarak bilinen bu olayın mağdurlarından biri de Fuat Sezgin’dir. Bir yıl önce Almanya’da kendisine çalışma teklifleri verilmesine karşın Türkiye’de bilim çalışmalarını sürdürmeyi arzulamıştı. Darbe sonrası üniversitedeki işinden olan Fuat Sezgin, kendisine pek çok ülkeden çalışma teklifi gelmesine karşın İslam Bilim Tarihi alanında çalışmalar yürüten Almanya’ya gitmeye karar vermiştir. Göç, her ne kadar birçok belirsizliği ve riski barındırsa da potansiyel olarak aynı derecede birçok olumlu sonuçların ortaya çıkmasına da sahiptir. Nitekim Fuat Sezgin olayı bize göçün avantajlarının ne gibi önemli çalışmalara neden olduğunu açığa çıkarmıştır. Bu makalede, göçün bilimsel üretime olan katkılarına değinilecektir. Bilimsel nedenlerden gerçekleştirilen göçlerin olumlu sonuçları, Fuat Sezgin’in tarihsel yaşamı üzerinden betimlenmeye çalışılacaktır.
Primary Language | Turkish |
---|---|
Journal Section | Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | December 23, 2019 |
Submission Date | July 15, 2019 |
Acceptance Date | August 28, 2019 |
Published in Issue | Year 2019 Volume: 2019 Issue: 39 |