Dear Colleagues,

 

As we remember Wolfgang’s intellectual brilliance, his generosity to students and his  many contributions to the field of art historiography and art librarianship, we should add that his influence on the international scene was highly significant.   His personal and cultural background  had informed the way in which he practised his chosen profession and the range of his scholarly activities.  His chairmanship of the International Relations Committee, his network of world-wide contacts and his encouragement of younger colleagues to engage intensely with international work are just some of the many contributions he has made to the field. I was one of the many colleagues he had encouraged and mentored to think and work globally and I will always be grateful to him. Wolfgang was one of us but, as they say in Britain, he was also ‘one off.’

 

Warmest regards

 

Irena

 

 

 

Dr. Wolfgang Freitag was one of the prime movers and founding members of our Society.  Many may remember him as the former director of the Fine Arts Library, Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University.  He was also an important contributor to our professional literature including what I believe is still the most comprehensive early history of “Art Libraries and Collections” which was published in the Encyclopedia of Library & Information Science, 1968.  He was an early advocate for the inclusion of  what we used to call “audio-visual media” in our libraries, and we co-authored one of the early essays on “Slides” published in the book Nonprint Media in Academic Libraries, ALA, 1975.  Wolfgang was an articulate and scholarly voice, and champion for our profession whose legacy can still be experienced through his publications, and through the vitality and international  integrity and impact of ARLIS/NA.  But even more meaningful for those of us who had the great good fortune to work directly with Wolfgang, he was a dear colleague with extraordinary intelligence and a great sense of humor.   With deep gratitude and respect for one the truly great leaders in our profession,

B. J. Irvine, Former Fine Arts Librarian, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.   

 

 

Just want to make sure everyone saw this:

FREITAG, Dr. Wolfgang M. Of Lexington, November 14, 2012. Beloved husband of Doris C. (Pfeil) Freitag. Loving father of Thomas Martin Freitag and his wife Nicola of Switzerland, and Dr. Tilman Freitag and his partner Helen Schwickrath of Arlington. Brother of Elisabeth Beck of Germany. He is also survived by a beloved grandchild, Tobias Martin Freitag of Switzerland. Librarian and Senior Lecturer in the Fine Arts Department at Harvard University. A memorial service is planned for a later date. Interment Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge.

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