Festschrift - Definition and Overview

In academia, a Festschrift is a book honouring a respected academic. The term, borrowed from German, could be translated as celebration publication.

A Festschrift contains original contributions by the academic's close colleagues, often including their former PhD students. It is typically published on the occasion of an anniversary.

Since no English designation for such a book has been established, the German word Festschrift is widely used internationally. A Festschrift can be anything from a slim volume to a work in several volumes. It often includes important contributions to scholarship or science.

Academics who had a notable Festschrift

• Gordon Clark
• Stephen Kleene
• Jens Rasmussen
• Cornelius Van Til

Webfestschrift

An electronic festschrift. Although there are many valuable collections published online, the first public use of this term corresponds to B.I Marshak's Webfestschrift, Eran ud Aneran (http://www.transoxiana.org/Eran/), published online on October 2003.

Example Usage of Festschrift