Wilhelm Jesse

Wilhelm Jesse (1887-1971) was a German historian, numismatist, folklorist, and archivist. Born in Grabow, he studied history, philology, and philosophy at the universities of Munich, Kiel, and Berlin, completing his doctorate under historian Max Lenz in 1911. Following a volunteer position at the Grand Ducal Secret Main Archive in Schwerin until 1914, Jesse served in World War I and experienced subsequent imprisonment. From 1919 to 1926, he worked as a research associate at the Museum of Hamburg History and earned his habilitation in history from the University of Hamburg in 1926.​

In 1926, Jesse became an assistant director at the Municipal Museum in Braunschweig, ascending to director in 1932, a role he maintained until 1952. In 1933, he was appointed adjunct professor for German folklore and cultural history at the Technical University of Braunschweig. His scholarly contributions include significant works on numismatics and regional history, notably "Münz- und Geldgeschichte Niedersachsens" (1952), a comprehensive study of the coinage and monetary history of Lower Saxony. Jesse was a founding member of the Braunschweig Scientific Society, established in 1943, and served as head of the Lower Saxony Coin Research Center. In 1940, he was elected a corresponding member of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities.