Johann Jakob Bachofen (Bachofen Johann Jakob)

(1815-1887)
Born in Basel (Switzerland) Dec. 22, 1815. He was appointed professor of Roman law, the University of Basel in 1841, but left the post in 1844 to become a judge of the Court of Appeal.
Bachofen studied mainly studies of Roman law and classical mythology. In these studies, he found references to cases of maternal kinship lines, despite the dominance in the ancient world of patriarchy. These facts and examples of this kind among some modern primitive peoples Bachofen forced to conclude that matriarchy preceded patriarchy in the social development of mankind. The domination of women arose, according to his hypothesis of an even earlier stage of promiscuity ( 'hetaerism'). Important factors in this development - the women's religiosity and the cult of a female deity. Bachofen believed that the original social structure was a reflection of religious beliefs. Scheme of the evolution of society, described them in 1861 in Labor Mother Right (Das Mutterrecht), subsequently became part of the Marxist doctrine

. Among other important works Bachofen - Symbols ancient tombs (Versuch ber die Grbersymbolik der Alten, . 1859) and antiquarian letters, . especially on the ancient concepts of kinship (Antiquarische Briefe, . vornehmlich zur Kenntniss der altesten Verwandschaftsbegriffe, . 1881-1886),
. Bachofen died in Basel on Nov. 25, 1887.