René Wellek

Czech-born American literatury critic (1903–1995)
Person human Q732895
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René Wellek

Summary

René Wellek is a human[1]. His place of birth was Vienna[2]. He was born on +1903-08-22T00:00:00Z[3]. He passed away in Hamden[4]. He died on +1995-11-10T00:00:00Z[5]. He worked as a linguist[6], literary critic[7], aesthetician[8], literary historian[9], and literary scholar[10]. He ranks in the top 0.73% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (29 views/month, #7,276 of 1,000,298).[11]

Key Facts

  • Born in Vienna[2], René Wellek…
  • René Wellek passed away in Hamden[4].
  • René Wellek was born on +1903-08-22T00:00:00Z[3].
  • René Wellek died on +1995-11-10T00:00:00Z[5].
  • René Wellek died on +1995-11-11T00:00:00Z[12].
  • René Wellek died on +1995-01-01T00:00:00Z[13].
  • René Wellek held citizenship in United States[14].
  • René Wellek worked as a linguist[6].
  • René Wellek worked as a literary critic[7].
  • René Wellek's professions included aesthetician[8].
  • René Wellek's professions included literary historian[9].
  • René Wellek worked as a literary scholar[10].
  • René Wellek worked as a translator[15].
  • René Wellek's field of work was literary studies[16].
  • René Wellek's field of work was comparative literature[17].
  • René Wellek's field of work was translating activity[18].
  • René Wellek's field of work was translation into German[19].
  • René Wellek's field of work was translation from English[20].
  • Among René Wellek's employers was University College London[21].
  • Among René Wellek's employers was Yale University[22].
  • René Wellek was employed by University of Iowa[23].
  • René Wellek's education included a stint at Charles University[24].
  • René Wellek was educated at Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague[25].
  • A notable work attributed to René Wellek is Theory of Literature[26].
  • A notable work attributed to René Wellek is Concepts of criticism[27].

Body

Origins and Family

René Wellek's place of birth was Vienna[2]. He was born on +1903-08-22T00:00:00Z[3].

Education

Educated at Charles University[24], a public university[28], in Czech Republic[29], founded in 1348[30], headquartered in Prague[31] and Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague[25], a faculty[32], in Czech Republic[33], founded in 1348[34], headquartered in Prague[35].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include linguist[6], literary critic[7], aesthetician[8], literary historian[9], literary scholar[10], and translator[15]. Fields of work include literary studies[16], an academic discipline[36]; comparative literature[17], an academic major[37]; translating activity[18]; translation into German[19]; and translation from English[20]. Employers include University College London[21], a university college[38], in United Kingdom[39], founded in 1826[40], headquartered in UCL Main Building[41]; Yale University[22], a private university[42], in United States[43], founded in 1701[44], headquartered in New Haven[45]; and University of Iowa[23], a public research university[46], in United States[47], founded in 1847[48], headquartered in Iowa City[49].

Works and Contributions

Notable works include Theory of Literature[26], a literary work[50], written by René Wellek[51] and Concepts of criticism[27]. Things named for him include René Wellek Prize[52], an award[53], in United States[54], founded in 1981[55].

Recognition

Awards received include Guggenheim Fellowship[56], a fellowship grant[57], in United States[58], founded in 1925[59]; Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, 1st class[60]; Sterling Professor[61], a position[62], in United States[63]; and Fellow of the British Academy[64], a fellowship award[65], in United Kingdom[66].

Death and Burial

Recorded date of death include +1995-11-10T00:00:00Z[5], +1995-11-11T00:00:00Z[12], and +1995-01-01T00:00:00Z[13]. René Wellek died in Hamden[4].

Why It Matters

René Wellek ranks in the top 0.73% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (29 views/month, #7,276 of 1,000,298).[11] He has Wikipedia articles in 14 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[67] He is known by 10 alternative names across languages and contexts.[68]

Entities named for him include René Wellek Prize[52], an award[53], in United States[54], founded in 1981[55].

FAQs

Where was René Wellek born?

Born in Vienna[2], René Wellek…

Where did René Wellek die?

René Wellek died in Hamden[4].

What did René Wellek do for work?

René Wellek worked as linguist[6], literary critic[7], aesthetician[8], literary historian[9], and literary scholar[10].

Where did René Wellek go to school?

René Wellek was educated at Charles University[24] and Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague[25].

What awards did René Wellek receive?

Honors received include Guggenheim Fellowship[56], Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, 1st class[60], Sterling Professor[61], and Fellow of the British Academy[64].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . Students of the Universities of Prague 1882–1945. wikidata.org.
  2. [4] . wikidata.org.
  3. [14] . wikidata.org.
  4. [24] . wikidata.org.
  5. [25] . Students of the Universities of Prague 1882–1945. wikidata.org.
  6. [16] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  7. [17] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  8. [18] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  9. [19] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  10. [20] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  11. [6] . wikidata.org.
  12. [7] . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  13. [8] . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  14. [9] . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  15. [10] . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  16. [15] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  17. [21] . wikidata.org.
  18. [22] . nytimes.com. nytimes.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  19. [23] . wikidata.org.
  20. [56] . wikidata.org.
  21. [60] . wikidata.org.
  22. [61] . wikidata.org.
  23. [64] . wikidata.org.
  24. [3] . BnF authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  25. [5] . Library of Congress Authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  26. [12] . SNAC. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  27. [13] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  28. [26] . wikidata.org.
  29. [27] . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [52] . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [28] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [29] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [30] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [31] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [32] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [33] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [34] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [40] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [43] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [44] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [45] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [46] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [47] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [48] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [49] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [57] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [58] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [59] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [62] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [63] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [65] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [66] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [50] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [51] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [53] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [54] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  34. [55] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [67] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [68] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). René Wellek. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/ren-wellek
MLA “René Wellek.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 11 Apr. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/ren-wellek.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_ren-wellek_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{René Wellek}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/ren-wellek}, note = {Accessed: 2026-04-11}}
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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 22d ago · Bargioni · 2026-05-07 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Member of British Academy, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities +3
    Archives at University of California, Irvine
    Aliases
    Educated at Charles University, Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague
    + 24 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/30469|batch #30469]]: add P1810 to P5739 3/3"
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