Louis Wirth, german sociology and the obsession of density

Journal title SOCIOLOGIA URBANA E RURALE
Author/s Agostino Petrillo
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2026/140
Language Italian Pages 18 P. 74-91 File size 157 KB
DOI 10.3280/SUR2026-140004
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The article reconstructs Louis Wirth’s ties with Germany and German sociology, focusing in particular on the category of density, whose theoretical foundations Wirth believed he could trace back to the works of Max Weber and Georg Simmel. This was a genuine misunderstanding, due in large part to the new problems that the Chicago School faced in relation to what had been the history of the European city. However, this misunderstanding gave rise to original lines of research.

Keywords: Louis Wirth, Chicago school, Max Weber, Georg Simmel, german sociology, density

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Agostino Petrillo, Louis Wirth, la sociologia tedesca e l’ossessione della densità in "SOCIOLOGIA URBANA E RURALE" 140/2026, pp 74-91, DOI: 10.3280/SUR2026-140004