Ferdinand Tönnies (; 26 July 1855, near
Oldenswort,
Eiderstedt,
North Frisia,
Schleswig – 9 April 1936,
Kiel,
Germany) was a
German sociologist and
philosopher. He was a major contributor to
sociological theory and field studies, best known for his distinction between two types of
social groups,
Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft. He co-founded the
German Society for Sociology, of which he was president from 1909 to 1933, after which he was ousted for having criticized the Nazis. Tönnies was considered the first German sociologist proper, published over 900 works and contributed to many areas of sociology and philosophy.