1. Concept and general development
Titles of university teachers varied considerably in early modern Europe, and changed over time. The Latin professor was long used to denote all holders of doctorates at higher faculties, with lector or praelector (reader or lecturer) used as official titles in the sense of “professor” today. Attestations in the Grimm dictionary, which mostly begin in the 16th century, indicate that the title of Professor became establ…