In the generation after Julius Wellhausen, Hermann Gunkel was one of the most important exponents of Protestant biblical studies. As one of the co-founders and main advocates of the history of religions school, he established approaches to the Old as well as the New Testament which were highly innovative from a methodological perspective. Ultimately he set a milestone in research history with each of his major publications. It is no coincidence that his commentary on Genesis and his diverse interpretations of the Psalms became classics of Protestant biblical exegesis in the 20th century. His name is inextricably linked to the examination of biblical texts from the perspective of form criticism. Drawing on previously unexplored archive material, Konrad Hammann shows the extent to which Gunkel's life and work were part of his time and the research discourses of his profession.