Empirie im Monchsgewand: Naturforschung in suddeutschen Klostern des 18. Jahrhunderts

The work explores the interaction of scientific practices and religious lifestyle in southern German monasteries in the 18th century, highlighting the role of religious scholars in shaping the scientific landscape. It emphasizes the monasteries as places of knowledge production, using handwritten source material and material culture of measuring devices and demonstration experiments.

Format: Hardback
Length: 276 pages
Publication date: 10 October 2022
Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co KG

The study delves into the intricate interplay between scientific practices and religious lifestyles, utilizing the example of southern German monasteries in the second half of the 18th century. The emergence of monastic natural research cultivated a unique scientific culture, characterized by its inward-looking nature and the pragmatic connection between monastic life and research endeavors. However, the impact of monastic natural research extended far beyond the confines of the monastery. Religious scholars played a pivotal role in shaping the scientific landscape of southern Germany, particularly in terms of collaborative working methods and standardization. By including monasteries as significant hubs of knowledge production, the study fills an important gap in our understanding of early modern scholarship, which has traditionally focused on universities and academies. This research not only examines handwritten source material from astronomical observations and physical experiments but also takes into account the material culture of measuring devices and demonstration experiments. This comprehensive approach sheds light on the multifaceted ways in which monastic communities contributed to the advancement of science during the early modern period.

Dimension: 237 x 160 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783525311424