Duchess Luise Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg seated with an open book on the table in front of her and two open books in her hand
Georg Andreas Wolffgang the Younger (?): Duchess Luise Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, c. 1742/45 © Friedenstein Foundation Gotha.

La Belle Anglaise. The book collector Luise Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg as a mediator of English culture

The Lutheran Duchess Luise Dorothea, née Saxe-Meiningen (1710-1767), had a decisive influence on the Gotha court and its political and cultural life in the 18th century. She is therefore one of the princesses who helped to shape the early modern period on a cultural and political level as an author of educational writings, as a member of a society and as a networker interested in theology, philosophy and aesthetics. The influence of these princesses on contemporary politics and society can be seen in their book collections. This is particularly true of Luise Dorothea, as her private library of around 3,500 works is one of the most extensive private collections at the Gotha court. Against the background of her Francophilia and her intensive (correspondence) contacts with Voltaire, among others, her collections were perceived as "French". Remarkably, however, the almost entirely French-language prints include around 100 'English' authors and some female authors, as well as a large number of books with an English, Scottish, Irish and American connection. These are not only works of moral philosophy, but publications from all areas of the so-called fine sciences and liberal arts of the time. In addition to the fine literature favoured by the Duchess, there are journals and encyclopaedias, works of edifying literature, state politics, history, natural history and travel literature.

The aim of the research project is to systematically reconstruct and analyse the "Bibliotheca Anglicana" within the entire collection for the first time and to make its contextual relevance visible. Particular attention will be paid to the materiality of the "English" books. The results will be published in a monograph and presented in a digital reconstruction.

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Duration: 01.11.2023 - 31.10.2026

Funded by: German Research Foundation (DFG)

Project partners
Faculty of Theology of the University of Göttingen, Gotha Research Library, Gotha Research Centre, Herzog August Library Wolfenbüttel, Thuringian University and State Library Jena

Project group
Head: Dr Gabriele Ball (University of Göttingen)
Gotha Research Library: Dr Kathrin Paasch, Dr Hendrikje Carius, Dr Dietrich Hakelberg
Gotha Research Centre: Professor Dr Martin Mulsow, Dr Markus Meumann
Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel: Professor Dr Peter Burschel, Professor Dr Ulrike Gleixner, Dr Hartmut Beyer
Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek (ThULB): Dr Andreas Christoph

Research Associate
(Extern)
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nach Vereinbarung
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