瓦尔堡是汉堡一家著名银行的名字,而伦敦大学的瓦尔堡研究院却不是以一位银行家,而是以一位有着强烈使命感的学者命名的。阿比·瓦尔堡(1866—1929)的私人图书馆成为现在研究院的核心。他坚信在整个人类历史中,文明一直受到盲目的激情和极度恐惧的威胁,而只有学者以理智的探究和科学的公正才能拯救文明。他一直希望他的图书馆致力于这一研究:即“古典的来世”这一概念中蕴含的奇幻的迷信和明智自律的对立面。用心理学观点讨论了意大利文艺复兴时期梅第奇家族与艺术背道而弛的问题之后,瓦尔堡转而研究占星术的图像,试图以此更深刻地理解那些具有典型意义的思潮。尽管极少谈及自己的信仰,但人们深知是他坚强的个性使他的图书馆成为著名的学术中心。在他生命的最后几年中,正是这一成就给了他巨大帮助:新成立的汉堡大学时刻关怀着他,那时大学已经有了像哲学家卡斯西尔和艺术史家潘诺夫斯基这样著名的学者。这时他的计划也扩展到一个新的领域,为了整个欧洲的文明,他希望研究院从事异教存在意义的研究。他的继承者扎克斯尔(1890—1948)进一步把研究院发扬光大,使这个为私人信念而建的图书馆成为具有国际影响的研究机构。在瓦尔堡家族的帮助下,他健全了图书馆的制度,并请学术权威 Warburg is the name of a famous bank in Hamburg, and the Warburg Institute at London University is not named after a banker but a scholar with a strong sense of mission. The private library of Abbey Warburg (1866-1929) became the core of the present Institute. He firmly believes that civilization has been threatened blindly with passion and extreme fear throughout human history, and that only scholars can save civilization through rational inquiry and scientific fairness. He had always wanted his library dedicated to this research: the antithesis of fantasy superstition and wise self-discipline in the concept of “classical afterlife.” After discussing the problem of backdating and relaxation of the Medici family in the Renaissance in Italy from a psychology point of view, Walburg turned to study the images of astrology in an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the typical trends of thought. Despite the seldom talk about his faith, it is well known that his strong personality has made his library a famous academic center. In the last few years of his life, it was the accomplishment that gave him tremendous help: the newly founded University of Hamburg was always concerned with him, when the university already had, like philosopher Casir and art historian Panovs Such a well-known scholar. At this time his plan also expanded to a new field, for the sake of civilization throughout Europe, he hoped that the Institute engaged in the study of the existence of paganism. His successor, Zachs (1890-1948) further expanded the Institute to make this library of private beliefs an institution of international influence. With the help of the Warburg family, he improved the system of libraries and invited academic authority