| Johann Erich Thunmann | |
| Birth Date: | 23 August 1746 |
| Birth Place: | Thoresund, Södermanland, Sweden |
| Nationality: | Swedish and German |
| Other Names: | Johannes Erich Thunmann |
| Occupation: | linguist, historian and theologian |
Johann Erich Thunmann or Johannes or Hans[1] (23 August 1746 — 17 December 1778) was a linguist, historian and theologian born in Thoresund (Södermanland) in Sweden. He studied at Strängnäs and Uppsala then left Sweden to study at Greifswald.[2] Thunmann was professor of philosophy at the University of Halle.[3]
Thunmann made extensive study of the peoples of Eastern Europe.[4] He was the first author to use the term "Eastern Europeans" in a book title, in his Untersuchungen über die Geschichte der östlichen europäischen Völker, 1774.[5] Thunmann's work served as a liberal agenda for nations without nation states.[6] Thunmann was one of the scientists who did not believe that Bulgarians are Slavs, or at least not "pure Slavs".[7] He believed that Vlachs are descendants of old Thracian and Dacian tribes or Getic people.[8] In 1825, based also on Thunmann's works, Mikhail Pogodin wrote his thesis "On the origins of the Rus'" which supports the Normanist theory of Russian origins.[9]
Thunmann was one of the most important early authors writing about the language and origin of Albanians.[10] The first serious attempts to present scientific explanation of the origin of Albanians began with Thunmann.[11] He believed that in terms of history and language, the Albanians and the Aromanians were the least known European peoples in Western Europe.[12]
Thunmann was the first scholar to disseminate the theory about the autochthonous Albanians[13] and to present the Illyrian theory of the origin of Albanians.[14] [15] Thunmann researched the origin of the term "Skipatar", the term Albanians use as their ethnic name.[16] In 1774 Thunmann republished a three-language (Albanian, Greek and Aromanian) lexicon Theodor Kavalioti first published in 1770, and later added a Latin translation.[17] Thunmann believed in Illyro-Thracian unity.[18]
Thunmann's notable works include:
. Robert Elsie. A Biographical Dictionary of Albanian History. 24 December 2012. I.B.Tauris. 978-1-78076-431-3. 442. THUNMANN, JOHANN (23.08.1746-17.12.1778) Swedish historian and theologian. Hans Erich Johann Thunmann was born in Thoresund (Södermanland) in Sweden. He studied at Stregnas and Uppsala (Sweden) and then at Greifswald .
. Ján Kollár. Reciprocity between the various tribes and dialects of the Slavic nation. 2008. Slavica. 978-0-89357-343-0. 137. Johann Thunmann, professor of philosophy in Halle.
. James Cowles Prichard. Ethnography of Europe. 3rd. 1841. Houlston & Stoneman. 476.
. James Cowles Prichard. Ethnography of Europe. 3d ed. 1841. 1841. Houlston & Stoneman. 476.
. Joshua A. Fishman. Overcoming Minority Language Policy Failure: The Case for Bulgaria and the Balkans. 2006. Mouton de Gruyter. 116. In 1774 Johann Thunmann wrote: None of the peoples of Europe is as little known, in terms of their history and modern language, in the West European countries as the Armanians and the Albanians..
. Robert Elsie. Historical Dictionary of Albania. 19 March 2010. Scarecrow Press. 978-0-8108-7380-3. 159. Johann Erich Thunmann (1746—1778) of the University of Halle first disseminated the theory of the autochthony of the Albanians.
. Aleksandar Stipčević. The Illyrians: history and culture. 1977. Noyes Press. 978-0-8155-5052-5. 73. The first one who clearly formulated the thesis of the Illyrian origin of the Albanians, was the German historian Johannes Thunmann in the eighteenth century..
. Robert Elsie. Historical Dictionary of Albania. 19 March 2010. Scarecrow Press. 978-0-8108-7380-3. 227. This lexicon was republished by the German scholar Johann Thunmann from Halle with a Latin translation in 1774.