2002

DG -- Europe

Prosopographie chrétienne du Bas-Empire [Christian Prosopography of the Late Empire]. Ed. Henri Irénée Marrou and Jean-Rémy Palanque. Paris: Editions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique [et al.], 1982– .

Vol. 2: Prosopographie de l’Italie chrétienne, (313–604) [Prosopography of Christian Italy (313–604)]. Ed. Charles Pietri and Luce Pietri. 2 vols. Roma: Ecole française de Rome, 1999–2000. xl, 2,433 p. 26 cm. ISBN 2-7283-0538-2 (vol. 1): EUR 198.00, ISBN 2-7283-0613-3 (vol. 2): EUR 191.00

Prosopografía de Hispania meridional [Prosopography of Southern Spain]. Francisco Salvador Ventura. Granada: Universidad de Granada, 1998– .

Vol. 3. Antigüedad tardía (300–711) [Late Antiquity (300–711)]. 1998. 246 p. 21 cm. (Biblioteca de estudios clásicos, 9). ISBN 84-338-2485-6: $14.00

The latest Oxford Classical Dictionary (3d ed., 1996) offers little help for those needing to know what the modern term “prosopography” means, saying there is “no agreed or official definition.” In practice, though, prosopography, at least as practiced by historians of antiquity, uses the evidence of names found in literary sources, inscriptions, and other documents to establish the family and business connections between individuals and groups of individuals and their military, political, and civic activities. A work calling itself a prosopography is normally neither a simple list of names, nor a biographical dictionary, but rather a compendium of brief outlines of the careers and connections of a certain group of individuals. In the English-speaking world, probably the best-known example is the Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire (PLRE). We will need to keep this work in mind, as the relation between it and the Prosopographie chrétienne du Bas-Empire (PCBE) and, to a lesser extent, the Prosopografía de Hispania meridional III: Antigüedad tardia (300–711) (PHM) will be a source of confusion for non-specialists.

Both the PLRE and the PCBE arose from the shattered torso of a much vaster prosopographical project organized in the late 19th century by the Berlin Academy. The project slowed after World War I and ceased for good after World War II, during which many of its records and archives were destroyed in bombing raids. In 1950, a group of British historians led by A.H.M. Jones launched the PLRE, which aims to list all known secular office-holders (above a certain rank) and their wives and children, from all parts of the Roman Empire between 260 and 641 CE, and to present concisely the evidence for their lives and careers.

Meanwhile, H.I. Marrou was setting in motion the team of French scholars who would compose the PCBE. Unlike PLRE, PCBE is organized geographically, with separate volumes for each Roman province. The first of them, covering Roman Africa, appeared in 1982, 30 years after work started. Now, 17 years later, the subject of this review has appeared in two fat volumes under the direction of Charles and Luce Pietri.

A “Note technique” explains the conventions adopted in establishing the domain of inquiry and explains the components of each entry.

PCBE 2’s geographic scope is more or less coextensive with the modern state of Italy, plus the islands of Corsica, Malta, and parts of Slovenia and Croatia. (This limitation is interpreted narrowly. Thus, though Jerome passed an important period of his life in Rome, and is indeed, a major source for these volumes, there is no entry for him in them. Similarly, Italian Christians who spent most of their careers elsewhere are excluded.) Chronologically, the limits are from 313 CE, year of the first Council of Rome held after Constantine had granted the church privileged status, to 604, the end of the pontificate of Gregory the Great. Individuals are included if they are known to have been a member of the clergy; lived monastically or as an ascetic; served the church in a lay capacity; benefited the church, for instance as donors; or were imperial officials who worked for or against the church. The many individuals of whom nothing is known other than that they were Christian are excluded. Also excluded are Roman emperors and barbarian kings. Just as Augustine was excluded from PCBE 1, Ambrose of Milan receives no entry here: a proper one would stretch to monographic length. For similar reasons, the articles on popes cover their careers only up to the time they assumed the papacy.

Each entry (of which I estimate there are around 5,000) follows the same pattern: (1) Name. This is followed by a number in the case of homonyms, for instance the 77 men named Felix, who are arranged in chronological order. (2) Date. This is given in whatever form is suited to the known facts, from a single day, month, and year (as when an individual has signed a dated document), to lifespans, to more or less broad spans like V/VIth century. (3) Rank. The highest attained is given in the language of source from which it is known. If it is known where the office was exercised, as for bishops, it is stated here, both in the ancient Latin form and in modern vernacular. (4) Body of the article and notes. Within the article, facts are given chronologically, except that those whose dates are uncertain or unascertainable are given separately at the end. The notes give the authority for each fact stated; if another person is referred to in the article, a cross-reference is given to the entry or entries for him or her, in either or both PCBE or PLRE. An asterisk preceding a name indicates a cross-reference to the preferred form of entry. (This is handy in cases where the reader is unsure under which of two or three names borne by an individual he is to be found; but this aid is not consistently given. For instance, there are no cross-references for Magnus Felix ENNODIVS.) Two asterisks preceding an entry indicate that the existence of the individual in question is in doubt; the editors dryly note that in such cases, the article will be shorter.

A 30-page list of sources, signs, and abbreviations (along with the list of the principal collaborators on the title-page) can only hint at the enormous effort that Pietri’s team made combing through the sources (and not only the primary sources, but the secondary literature as well). Every major collection of inscriptions, of ecclesiastical writers, of church councils, and much else will be found there. (It is good to see that the 29 previously unknown letters of Augustine discovered and published by J. Divjak in 1981, but rejected by the editor of PCBE 1, are accepted as genuine by the editors of PCBE 2.) It is only to be regretted that the list is not repeated in volume 2: though advanced students will find most abbreviations self-explanatory, others will need to keep both volumes at hand.

The work concludes with a short (15-page) list of names recovered in too fragmentary a form to be restored, (e.g., [...]ANCO[...?], a grave digger), and three annexes. The first lists popes and anti-popes, with references to the entries where their pre-papal careers are treated, along with leaders of other confessions such as the Donatists and the Luciferians. The second consists of “Fastes épiscopaux de l’Italie,” a list of Italian bishops whose seats and dates are known, arranged by ancient name of the city (together with a modern name if known). The third annex lists chronologically those councils of the church either attended by individuals entered in PCBE, or taking place in Italy, or concerning Italian affairs.

The volumes are handsomely put together: further scholarship will correct errors and add new information, but there is little to complain of in the high standard of production. Typos are amazingly few, and there were none in the small sample of references I checked.

Some comments. First, to whom is this work addressed? Clearly, above all to specialists in late antiquity and the early church, for whom it will be an indispensable and irreplaceable tool. But others will find it of use as well. Readers of such authors as Augustine or Boethius, to name only two, will find full information about the people they mention in passing. The excellent cross-referencing enables the reader to discover the links of family and friendship connecting, to give an obvious example, the circle of pious noblewomen that formed around Jerome. Anyone interested in the transformation of classical antiquity to the Christian Middle Ages will find much intriguing anecdote here, and the footnotes lead the student directly to the ancient evidence.

However, there are matters that call out for more negative comment. The division between the pagan PLRE and the Christian PCBE is regrettably a fait accompli. This means that readers must be aware as they use either tool that there may be more information, perhaps exactly what they seek, in the other one. Take Epicharius AVITVS. He had a brilliant military career in Gaul and was eventually proclaimed Augustus, so merits entry in PLRE. But shortly after his elevation to imperial rank, he was defeated at the Battle of Piacenza in 456. Then he was made bishop of that city, and so figures in PCBE, which, however, omits his earlier career and adds little more information, as he died within the year. Obviously, the pagan-Christian division makes less and less sense in the latter part of the period covered, as Christianity thoroughly penetrated Rome’s ruling class. Cross-reference from PCBE to PLRE (but not the other way around) alleviates this awkwardness, but does not eliminate it, since the projects proceeded at different paces. The two works’ coverage overlaps to a great degree, and they need to be used together for exhaustive information.

It must be noted, too, that like PCBE 1, PCBE 2 offers far more than a succinct summary of the known facts about individuals’ careers and connections. Its entries are in fact biographical, not prosopographical in nature, and go into details not normally associated with prosopography per se. For instance, in the long article on Paulinus of Nola (PAVLINVS 1), we learn not only in what year he mended his quarrel with Sulpicius Severus, but what gift accompanied Severus’ letter (a camelskin coat), the fact that the bearer had never been to Nola before, that he washed Paulinus’ feet and shaved his head! Although this gives the articles a peculiar charm and interest (even when one feels the ancient evidence is being accepted uncritically), it considerably swells the bulk of the work and eliminates much of what makes PLRE so useful a work of reference: its concise presentation of the known facts and connections concerning each individual. Furthermore, such concision allows for fuller direct quotation of the evidence in PLRE. In PCBE, it is almost always only referred to—and it must be remembered that the references are to books many of which will be found only in the largest libraries. Another factor contributing to the bulk of the work is that every positive statement in the text is separately footnoted—the camelskin, the trip, the foot-wash, and the shave—even when they come from successive lines of the same source. This may be an artifact of the way the books were produced, by slipping in primary texts, but it is hard to see what purpose it serves in the published work, and it means that the 14-page article on Paulinus receives 415 footnotes.

Much of what PCBE will be used for is to make connections between persons in order to strengthen historical hypotheses (even though the practice has come in for strenuous criticism); one will be frustrated having to tease out such links when they are embedded in a narrative account. A surprising absence in a work of this kind is that of stemmata, or family trees, which have long been a standard feature of prosopographical works. A case in point is St. Paula (PAVLA 1 in both works): all the information present in stemma 23 in PLRE is present in the PCBE article, but in the former it is apparent at a glance, while in the latter it must be gleaned from a close reading of 308 dense lines of text.

In summary: a monumental work of collaborative scholarship carried out at the highest level of learning and industry—but with some innate design flaws. Recommended for collections supporting the study of ancient history.

The second work under review is on a much more modest scale: though it covers a longer time span, its geographical limits are much narrower, and the evidence is infinitely sparser. Like PCBE 2, it is part of a larger project, a prosopography of southern Spain during the Roman and Visigothic periods under the leadership of Cristóbal González Román. It is projected to appear in three parts: the republican era; the High Empire; and Late Antiquity. The last has come first, edited by Francisco Salvador Ventura.

PHM III benefits from the recent (1995) revision of the volume of the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum [Corpus of Latin Inscriptions] covering Latin Spain, and from recent provincial corpora of Spanish inscriptions: if one sets aside the lists of signers of church councils, which furnish many names otherwise unknown, epigraphic sources account for almost 90% of the entries. Still, the yield is small: 395 individuals from four centuries, ranging from 200 in the 7th to only three in the 8th.

Coverage corresponds geographically to modern Andalusia; the date range concludes with the conquest of Spain by the Arabs. The paucity of evidence from Spain for this period means that the editor includes essentially all named persons of whom anything at all is known—and in many cases, only the name is known. The data for each person are similar to those found in PLRE and PCBE: name; the ancient evidence (cited, except for the most important figures, in its entirety in the original Latin or, exceptionally, Greek); bibliographic references; place of origin; place of residence; status; onomastic note (typically, origin and prevalence of name); offices held; social relations; charitable activities; and finally, date. It should be noted that in only a small minority of cases are all of these data known. Following the body of the work are appendices summarizing the data in each of these categories. Some are useless: the first is simply a list of all the persons named in the body of the work—what does this add? But those summarizing geographic distribution or the distribution by status (aristocracy, freedmen, or slaves) are of some interest. A short (two-page) list of sources and a bibliography conclude the book. The description of the scope and content of this work will indicate the limits of its usefulness: for those doing intensive work in the history of this region, it helpfully gathers the known data. By citing the evidence fully, it saves the reader the trouble of working back to the documents through the name indexes of the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum and other such collections. Some features of the work, however, are less satisfactory. Because it was constructed from a database, information is repeated from one entry to another. For instance, all eight persons named Felix receive a variant of the same onomastic note: simple reference to the first entry would have saved space. Secondly, the value of including people of whom nothing but the name is known is open to question. While future discovery will turn up more information on some of them, it may be doubted whether we will ever know more about, e.g., POTENTIVS than what we learn from his epitaph: he lived and died. Does this merit an eight-line entry, most of which simply quotes onomastic authorities? This volume, at least, of PHM draws the boundaries of prosopography in a most idiosyncratic way. Finally, the layout and, to a degree, the execution of the book leave much to be desired. A complex (actually, mind-boggling) system of Roman numerals and letters connects evidence and bibliography with statements elsewhere in the entry; in entries where evidence is abundant, this makes for tortured reading. The inconsistencies of style inherent in multiple authorship have not always been smoothed out, and the general impression is one of a work not quite given its final form. The work succeeds in filling a gap, since it draws on sources unavailable to PLRE, but it is a small gap, and it is a disservice to scholars when projects like prosopographies, which should by their nature be as nearly encyclopedic as possible, are broken into such tiny units. This work is recommended for major research collections in ancient history.

Biographisches Handbuch der württembergischen Landtagsabgeordneten 1815– 1933 [Biographical Handbook of Members of the Parliaments of the State of Württemberg, 1815–1933]. Ed. Frank Raberg for the Kommission für Geschichtliche Landeskunde in Baden-Württemberg. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 2001. lxxiv, 1,154 p. ill. 25 cm. (Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für Geschichtliche Landeskunde in Baden-Württemberg). ISBN 3-17-016604-2: EUR 50.00 [02-1-160]

Frank Raberg’s work represents an immense achievement, outdoing in some respects even Wilhelm Heinz Schröder’s 1995 publication, Sozialdemokratische Parlamentarier in den deutschen Reichs- und Landtagen. Raberg’s work covers all legislative gatherings in the state of Württemberg between 1815 and 1933; his dedicated efforts have rescued a number of figures from undeserved oblivion. It is especially welcome that he has devoted his attention to Württemberg, which can be considered as perhaps the definitive region of Germany with regard to the developmental history of the liberal constitutional state. A very brief overview of election years, legislative sessions, presidents and vice-presidents of sessions, etc. is given on pages 1,076–1,091. This overview should have been made more comprehensive; it would also have been more useful to place it before the biographical entries of the parliamentarians, rather than after them.

The work contains a total of 2,211 biographies, each of which is allotted about half a page of space. It is clear that Mr. Raberg invested an incredible amount of energy in compiling this overwhelming amount of data. Many of the entries include portraits. Certain details in the form of the entries could be improved upon, such as the placement of information about party membership and membership in commissions and committees. Information about aristocratic members sitting in the upper house of parliament (the Kammer der Standesherren) could have been improved through consultation of the various reference works dealing with genealogies of German nobility. Pages 1,092 to 1,150 offer an overview of election results by locality, allowing the user to reach conclusions about the political “color” of specific towns and regions at various times. This work must be considered indispensable for any library with an interest in the parliamentary history of Germany. [jl/crc]

Biographisches Lexikon des russischen Heidelberg [Biographical Dictionary of Russian Heidelberg]. Willy Birkenmaier. Heidelberg: Institut für Übersetzen und Dolmetschen der Universität Heidelberg, Russische Abteilung. 21 cm. (Russica palatina, ...). (Institut für Übersetzen und Dolmetschen..., Plöck 57a, D-69117 Heidelberg) [02-1-161]

Vol. 2. 1914–1945. 2002. 112 p. (..., 38).

From the end of the 19th century to Lenin’s seizure of power, the University of Heidelberg was for young Russians and other peoples of the Russian Empire (and especially the Baltic countries) a favorite place to study. Willy Birkenmaier, the head of the Russian Department of the Translation Institute in Heidelberg, has several reference works on this topic to his credit. This volume is a continuation of his Biographisches Lexikon der Studenten aus Rußland im Zeitraum 1815–1914 [Biographical Dictionary of Students from Russia, 1815–1914], which appeared in 1996 and was revised in 1998 (Russica palatina, 27). In this second wave of students, few were Russian; they were predominantly German, frequently from the Baltic States and from Russia proper. And later many students were the offspring of students from the first wave. At no time, however, did Heidelberg achieve the kind of role that “Russian Berlin” or “Russian Paris” played in the Russian emigration.

Some of these students later became famous in Heidelberg, for example, Dmitrij Tschizewskij (1894–1977), who eventually became director of the Slavic Institute of the University of Heidelberg. Another is Hans von Eckardt, born in Riga in 1890, relegated to “enemy alien” status at the University during the war, and later allowed to study and teach journalism there. He lost this status in 1933 but regained it in 1946. Several members of the Baltic noble families von Campenhausen and von Hahn are listed here.

The entries are arranged by semester, with a comprehensive alphabetical index. The work does not include Russians living in Heidelberg who were not or no longer studying at the University during the period in question. Most of the persons listed are basically unknown to the broader world and probably don’t require a detailed reference, but because each person’s ancestral origin and citizenship are given, this work can be an aid to historical and sociological research. An appendix provides some brief documentary information about German-Russian scholarly relations in this period. Leafing through this carefully prepared volume makes clear that “Russian Heidelberg” from 1914 to 1945 was a mix of peoples reflecting the fall of the Russian Empire and the integration of these émigrés into the western world. [wk/ga]

Der Kraichgau und Teile seiner Nachbarlandschaften: eine Regionalbibliographie [Kraichgau and Parts of Its Neighboring Areas: A Regional Bibliography]. Ed. Alfred Götz. Sinsheim: Heimatmverein Kraichgau. 24 cm. (Sonderveröffentlichung -Heimatverein Kraichgau, ...). (Heimatverein Kraichgau, Geranienstr. 19, D-75013 Eppingen) [02-1-163]

Vol. 1. Allgemeine und Personenliteratur (1561–1999) [General Literature and People (1561–1999)]. 2001. xiii, 557 p. 24 cm. (..., 25). ISBN 3-921214-20-3: EUR 40.00, EUR 48.50 (book + CD-ROM)

This work is an example of local and regional bibliographies covering small historic areas in Germany. Others include bibliographies on Murrhardt and Ravensburg (see RREA 7:290 and 7:291) within the current German federal state of Baden-Württemberg. The initial volume of this extensive bibliography on the Kraichgau, also in Baden-Württemberg, attempts to record literature covering general aspects and people of the region from 1561 to 1999. The first section of the volume, covering literature about the area, is methodically organized into 5,000 consecutively numbered items. The second section lists literature covering individuals and families alphabetically by name. All aspects of life in the Kraichgau region are given consideration. It would have been useful to have maps to aid the outsider in understanding the geographical coverage of the work, but these are not included. Altogether, the work reveals the hand of an experienced bibliographer, and we can look forward to the appearance in 2003 of the second and final volume, covering the towns and cities of the region. The work will also be made available on a CD-ROM. [sh/hrh]

Die Herrscher Bayerns: 25 historische Portraits von Tassilo III. bis Ludwig III [The Bavarian Rulers: 25 Historical Portraits from Tassilo III to Ludwig III]. Ed. Alois Schmid and Katharina Weigand. München: Beck, 2001. 447 p. 23 cm. ISBN 3-406-48230-9: EUR 25.50 [02-1-164]

In its series of portraits of rulers of various German historical states, the Beck publishing house has now brought out a volume on Bavaria. It presents 25 essays on Bavarian rulers from the Agilofingers, the first of the Bavarian ducal line, to Ludwig III, the last King of Bavaria. This work is the first on Bavarian rulers since Ludwig Schrott’s useful but long out-of-print Herrscher Bayerns received its last printing in 1977.

The work is not intended to be encyclopedic, but it has good and understandable examinations of the ruling personalities in the contexts of their respective times. While presenting the rulers in the context of German and European history, each article also emphasizes a distinctive aspect or characteristic of its subject, e.g., Elector Prince Karl Theodor and the fine arts, or Maximilian II and social issues. The essays are for the historically interested public and do not comprise a comprehensive scholarly reference work. The volume’s appendix has a few annotations and some brief references to additional sources which should be of interest to the scholarly reader. Included in the volume are four maps and some genealogy charts. As with other similar volumes from this publisher, this work would be an appropriate purchase for academic and larger public libraries. [wl/hrh]

Die Präsidenten des Bayerischen Landtags: von 1946 bis 1994 [The Presidents of the Bavarian House of Representatives: From 1946 to 1994]. Hilde Balke. München: Bayerischer Landtag, 2001. 311 p. ill. 19 cm. ISBN 3-927924-23-7: free of charge (Bayerischer Landtag, Abt. Öffenlichkeitsarbeit, Maximilianeum, D-81627 München, e-mail: pressestelle@bayern.landtag.de) [02-1-165]

The journalist Hilde Balke, who has reported on the Bavarian Landtag for over 50 years, has created a work of biographical sketches of the first seven presidents of the Bavarian Landtag: Michael Horlacher (1946–1950), Georg Stang (1950–1951), Alois Hundhammer (1951–1954), Hans Ehard (1954–1960), Rudolf Hanauer (1960– 1978), Franz Heubl (1978–1990), and Wilhelm Vorndran (1990–1994). Each piece begins with a chronology and provides a portrait and other photos. Through the use of legislative records from the Landtag and Reichstag (pre-1946 German legislature), collections of newspaper articles, and interviews with family members, an account is given in a journalistic style of each president’s life and political career. [sh/hrh]

Der Bayerische Senat: biographisch-statistisches Handbuch 1998–1999; Ergänzungsband [The Bavarian Senate: A Biographical and Statistical Handbook, 1998–1999, Supplemental Volume]. Comp. Helga Schmöger. München: Bayerischer Landtag, 2001. 182 p. ill. 25 cm. Free of charge (Bayerischer Landtag, Abt. Öffenlichkeitsarbeit, Maximilianeum, D-81627 München, email: pressestelle@bayern.landtag.de) [02-1-166]

This is a supplemental volume to the 1998 work, Der Bayerische Senat: biographisch-statistisches Handbuch 1947–1997. It closes the chapter on the Bavarian Senate (which was officially dissolved on December 31, 1999) by covering 15 members who joined the Senate since 1997, providing photos, short biographies, and information on Senate group affiliations, time of membership, distinctions, and honors. Also covered are Senate reform efforts and its final demise. An appendix updates the bibliography in the original volume by indicating new titles. The personal name index also includes entries from the original volume, but the subject index is limited to the supplement. [sh/hrh]

Stadtlexikon Nürnberg [Encyclopedia of the City of Nuremberg]. Ed. Michael Diefenbacher and Rudolf Endres. 2d rev. ed. Nürnberg: Tümmels, 2000. 1,247 p. ill. 29 cm. ISBN 3-921590-69-8: EUR 65.00 [02-1-167]

The first edition of the Stadtlexikon Nürnberg was released in 1999, in conjunction with the celebration of the city’s 950th year. A collaboration of the Nuremberg City Archives and the Institute for Bavarian and Franconian History at the University of Bayreuth, it went out of print so quickly that it is missing in most library collections outside Bavaria. The second edition has minor improvements in the text with no radical changes, but the appendix includes two new sections. The Stadtlexikon Nürnberg is in the top tier of city encyclopedias. It covers all aspects of the city, past and present, with entries under personal names (only the deceased); streets and paths (street names of the Old City are included fully, but those of surrounding areas only partially); buildings; organizations and businesses; and other topics. The 5,610 signed articles include references, although in the three-column arrangement of the main body of the encyclopedia only half of the articles occupy as much as a full column. This is not a problem, as this section also contains 33 essays, each two pages in length, dealing with central themes of Nuremberg history. The work includes approximately 1,400 well-chosen illustrations, but they are not of the best quality, due to the printing technique used. Pictures of individuals typically are the size of a postage stamp, while 184 full-page black-and-white photographs taken between 1933 and 1936 present buildings of the Old City as they were before the destruction of World War Two. Of special usefulness are the 18 surveys in the appendix which partially function as an index, as they refer to articles in the alphabetic section. Of course, they are not the equivalent of a detailed index, and arranging articles in topical groups would have better served the reader. A current database at the City Archives is the basis for the Stadtlexikon Nürnberg. Some public access to the database is planned for the latter half of 2003, but new articles will be available only in a supplemental volume, expected in the fall of 2005. This work belongs in every library. [sh/hrh]

Regensburger Bibliographie: Themen und Personen [Bibliography of the City of Regensburg: Themes and Persons]. Eike Eberhard Unger, Margit Schneider, and Egon Johannes Greipl. Regensburg: Pustet, 2001. xix, 1,161 p. 24 cm. ISBN 3-7917-1783-9: EUR 125.00 [02-1-168]

This impressive bibliography of Regensburg, a city of major historical significance, contains no fewer than 15,655 numbered bibliographic citations to monographs (including gray literature) and articles (in the case of newspapers, mostly from area publications) about the city in its present boundaries. Titles about the region are included if they also concern the city. Naturally the history of the city, its culture, and its economy are covered, but also, as befits a modern city bibliography, all other areas of concern. The organization of the work follows, with adaptations, the structure of 19 major subject areas used in the Bayerische Bibliographie, which has no section specifically for persons. Thus, literature about individuals is included in the most relevant subject section, making consultation of the index, which covers places, persons, and subjects, imperative. This is not without its quirks: for example, under “Pustet,” the name of the publisher of this work, one finds only titles about individual persons, with no reference to entries about the publishing company “Friedrich Pustet;” these can be found only by looking at the list of publishers under the subject entry for “book trade and publishing companies.”

Although libraries outside the region will not necessarily wish to buy all the bibliographies of smaller cities that have come on the market recently, the comprehensive and beautifully printed Regensburger Bibliographie belongs in every major library. [sh/nb]

Berliner Berzirkslexikon. Mitte [Dictionary of Berlin Districts: Central]. Kathrin Chod, Herbert Schwenk, and Hainer Weißpflug. 2 vols. Berlin: Edition Luisenstadt, 2001. 444, 445 p. ill. 22 cm. ISBN 3-89542-111-1: EUR 24.80 [02-1-169]

Bio-Bibliographien, Brandenburgische Gelehrte der frühen Neuzeit [Bio-Bibliographies: Brandenburg Scholars in Early Modern Times]. Lothar Noack and Jürgen Splett. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag. 19 cm. (Veröffentlichungen zur brandenburgischen Kulturgeschichte der frühen Neuzeit). [01-1-170]

Mark Brandenburg 1640–1713. 2001. viii, 640 p. ill. ISBN 3-05-003570-6: EUR 128.00

With the publication of the third volume in 2001, the multivolume encyclopedia of Brandenburg scholars in the early modern era is coming to fruition. In contrast to the two previous volumes, which were limited to scholars in Berlin-Cölln (see RREA 7:294), this new volume focuses on scholars in other parts of Brandenburg, most notably from the university cities of Frankfurt an der Oder and Halle/Saale, which fell to Brandenburg in 1680. The introduction provides assistance to those readers unfamiliar with Brandenburg’s territorial history. Fifty scholars are covered in this new volume, which brings the total for all three volumes to 168. Each article is divided into three sections: section 1 provides details about the persons and their backgrounds, along with a contemporary portrait for about half of the fifty scholars; section 2 offers a comprehensive biography; section 3, a thorough bibliography, including dissertations and secondary literature. [sh/bwv]

Das große Bremen-Lexikon [Comprehensive Dictionary of Bremen]. Herbert Scharzwälder. Bremen: Edition Temmen, 2002. 832 p. 24 cm. ISBN 3-86108-616-6: EUR 45.50 [02-1-171]

The author of this new dictionary of Bremen, an educator and regional historian, devotes a large part of his foreword to discussing Werner Kloos and Reinhold Thiel’s Bremer Lexikon of 1997 (see RREA 4:154), instead of communicating what his own work contains. A comparison of the two publications reveals that the new work includes information typically found in historical city dictionaries and is both lengthier and of more import than its predecessor, containing ca. 3,500 articles vs. ca. 1,850 in Kloos and Thiel’s publication. A spot-check of the 141 articles under the letter A revealed the following subject groups: businesses and other organizations; deceased persons; streets and places, bodies of water, and city districts; concepts; and buildings. The articles range in length from a few lines to three columns, and the limited bibliographical references, which are brought together on page 832, are insufficient in contrast to their accompanying texts (the first 20 articles of the spotcheck had only nine bibliographical references in total). The text is accompanied by ca. 1,200 mediocre illustrations that are the size of postage stamps. Nonetheless, the Großes Bremen-Lexikon supersedes its predecessors. [sh/rm]

Hamburgische Biografie: Personenlexikon [Hamburg Biography: Dictionary of Persons]. Ed. Franklin Kopitzsch and Dirk Brietzke. Hamburg: Christians. 27 cm. [02-1-172]

Vol. 1. 2001. 368 p. ill. ISBN 3-7672-1364-8: EUR 29.80

The Hamburgische Biografie differs from the Hamburgische Lebensbilder in Darstellungen und Selbstzeugnissen [Hamburg Life Portraits through Descriptions and Self Portrayals] (Hamburg, 1989; see IFB 99-B09-514) in its conception as a biographical dictionary. Volume 1 contains 325 biographies, each averaging one page in length and often containing portraits, distinguishing itself with its relatively brief articles from the abovementioned life portrait series. The Hamburgische Biografie does, however, share with the Hamburgische Lebensbilder the goal of revealing the full spectrum of Hamburg history through consideration of well-known people from all eras (with the exception of those still living) who were born, died, or worked within the contemporary boundaries of Hamburg, including the unavoidable Zitronenjette (Johanne Henriette Marie Müller, 1841–1916, a lemon seller about whom plays and stories were written). The signed articles begin with name, birth and death date and place, religious denomination, and profession, and close with a brief selection of primary and secondary literature. Stylistically, the articles are designed to address both the researcher and general public, an approach the work shares with the Hamburg-Lexikon (see RREA 6:297). A running cumulative index is promised beginning with volume 2. [sh/rm]

Stadt der toten Frauen: Frauenportraits und Lebensbilder vom Friedhof Hamburg Ohlsdorf [City of Dead Women: Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Women Interred in the Hamburg Ohlsdorf Cemetary]. Rita Bake and Brita Reimers. 2d ed. Hamburg: Dölling und Galitz, 1997. 331 p. ill. 23 cm. ISBN 3-930802-56-2: EUR 9.80 [02-1-173a]

The City of Dead Women doesn’t resemble the typical cemetery guide, arranged by grave number or name of the deceased; rather, the 127 biographies are thematically arranged and focus on selected women interred in the beautiful park-like Ohlsdorf cemetery in Hamburg. The thematic focus of each chapter is illuminated by an introduction to the sociopolitical context and limitations the women faced. The length of each biography depends upon the available primary and secondary sources, and the writers attempt to focus upon the women’s private as well as public lives. Each sketch is preceeded by the available biographical data, such as employment, maiden name, and related dates; many include black-and-white portraits. [sh/ldb]

Lebensläufe zwischen Elbe und Weser: ein biographisches Lexikon [Lives Lived Between Elbe and Weser: A Biographical Lexicon]. Comp. Brage Bei der Wieden and Jan Lokers for the Regional Association for the Former Duchies of Bremen and Verden. Stade: Landschaftsverband der Ehemaligen Herzogtümer Bremen und Verden. 25 cm. (Schriftenreihe des Landschaftsverbandes der Ehemaligen Herzogtümer Bremen und Verden). (Landschaftsverband ..., Im Johanniskloster, D-21682 Stade, fax [49 4141] 47163, e-mail: lsv.stade@t-online.de) [02-1-175]

Vol. 1. 2002. 362 p. ill. ISBN 3-931879-08-9: EUR 25.00

The interfluvial designation “between the Elbe and Weser rivers” presents the historical conundrum and geographical unease thoroughly examined by the compilers in their introduction. They focus on the territory of the former duchies of Bremen and Verden, which, augmented by other tiny annexations, were unified as the administrative district of Stade until 1978 and then absorbed into the larger district of Lüneburg. The region is thus somewhat makeshift, since most inhabitants identify themselves more closely as citizens of smaller or local units. Somewhat idealistically, the compilers admit to taking on the advocacy task of strengthening regional identity. The criteria for biographical inclusion include those born in the region—and no longer living—whose notable political, intellectual, or economic achievements in the region (or elsewhere) make them “lexicon-worthy.” Some from beyond the region who left a significant mark there are also embraced as regional figures. From a qualification list of 800, some 120 appear in the first volume, taken from all eras and all walks of life. The small number of female biographees (eight)—of whom the earliest is the “holy benefactress of the Church,” Emma von Lesum, who died in 1038—distinguishes this biographical lexcicon no more than other, similar publications. The article lengths vary according to source material available, but the compilers did succeed in obtaining portraits for 87 of the 120 individuals. Each entry comprises biographical and genealogical data followed by a narrative of biographical highlights and then bibliographic sources. The plan is to publish three further volumes with cumulative indexes, of which the next should appear in three or four years. Indexes by time period and by profession would also be welcome. [sh/rdh]

Biographisches Lexikon für Ostfriesland [Biographical Dictionary for East Friesland]. Ed. Martin Tielke for the Ostfriesische Landschaft. Aurich: Ostfriesische Landschaftliche Verlags- und Vertriebsgesellschaft. 25 cm. (Ostfriesische Landschaft, Abt. Verlag, Postfach 1580, D-26585 Aurich, fax [49 4941] 179975) [02-1-176]

Vol. 3. 2001. 470 p. ISBN 3-932206-22-3: EUR 35.00

Volume 3 of this planned five-volume set adds 191 new biographies, bringing the total for the three volumes published so far to 557 and giving further indication that the compilers should attain their goal of ca. 900 entries in all when the set is eventually complete. Essentially nothing has changed from the concept of the first two volumes (see IFB 99-B09-556) except that this installment expands its coverage to include persons from the Middle Ages. It includes relatively complete bibliographic references and a cumulative index of names. [sh/mjc]

Der Kölner Rat: biographisches Lexikon [The Cologne Council: Biographical Dictionary]. Comp. Thomas Deres. Köln: Historisches Archiv. 24 cm. (Mitteilungen aus dem Stadtarchiv von Köln, ...). (Historisches Archiv, Postfach 103564, D-50475 Köln, fax [49 221] 221-22480], e-mail: hastk@netcologne.de) [02-1-177]

Vol. 1. 1794–1919. 2001. 225 p. ill. (..., 1). ISBN 3-928907-09-3: EUR 18.00

Although there are many biographical dictionaries of federal and state legislators, this is the first dictionary of municipal councilors to be reviewed in IFB/RREA. It complements the Ratsherrenverzeichnis von Köln zu reichsstädtischer Zeit von 1396–1796 [Index of Councilors of Cologne during Its Period as a Free City in the Years 1794–1919] (Köln, 1982). Information on the 518 councilors profiled here was taken from Council proceedings and secondary literature. An unusually lengthy bibliography and an index of names are included. Volume 2 (1919–1945) is forthcoming, and volume 3 (1945–1975) is in preparation. [sh/mjc]

Bibliographie Stadt Olpe 1648–2000: Veröffentlichungen zur Stadtgeschichte und Landeskunde [Bibliography of the City of Olpe 1648–2000: Publications on the History and Culture of the City]. Heinz Quellmalz and Josef Wermert. Olpe: Stadtarchiv; Heimatverein für Olpe und Umgebung e.V., 2001. xv, 448 p. 1 map. 25 cm. (Quellen und Beiträge des Stadtarchivs Olpe, 8). EUR 18.00 plus postage (Stadtarchiv Olpe, Postfach 1920 und 1940, D-57449 Olpe, fax [49 2761] 83-1293) [02-1-178]

It seems that in recent years, more bibliographies have been devoted to the history of the cities of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia than to cities in the other German states. This bibliography on the history of the city of Olpe aims at comprehensiveness and includes over 7,500 monographs and articles (omitting newspaper articles) that concern the city and its environs. It is organized into 14 sections that are indexed by place and author. Because of the detailed table of contents, the compilers chose, unfortunately, not to include a subject index. [sh/sl]

Paderborner Bibliographie: das Schrifttum über die Stadt Paderborn [Paderborn Bibliography: Publications on the City of Paderborn]. Köln: SH-Verlag. 25 cm. (Bibliographien zur westfälischen Regionalgeschichte). ISSN 0178-5303 [02-1-179]

Aspekte sächsischer Landtagsgeschichte: Präsidenten und Abgeordnete von 1833 bis 1952 [Aspects of Saxon Parliamentary History: Presidents and Representatives from 1833 to 1952]. Ed. Josef Matzerath for the Sächsischer Landtag. Dresden: Sächsischer Landtag, 2001. 180 p. ill. 30 cm. Free of charge. (Sächsischer Landtag, Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Postfach 120905, D-01008 Dresden, e-mail: info@landtag.sachsen.de) [02-1-181]

Since 1990, the states of the former East German regions have been intensely exploring their parliamentary histories. An example is the series Schriften zur Geschichte des Parlamentarismus in Thüringen [Essays on the History of Parliamentarianism in Thuringia], already counting 18 volumes to date. The series at hand started in 1998; its two previous volumes, also by Josef Matzerath, are subtitled Sächsischer Landtag [Saxon Parliament] (1998), and Umbrüche und Kontinuitäten 1815 bis 1868 [Changes and Continuities, 1815 to 1868] (2000). All are richly illustrated and contain useful information illuminating various aspects of Saxon parliamentary history. The volume under review here is in every sense the weightiest book on Saxon parliamentary history by the author, whose work is known to be thorough. It includes biographies of the presidents of the Saxon parliamentary chambers and of the diet in Dresden, and seemingly comprehensive lists of representatives and electoral districts. It is to be hoped that a complete biographical handbook of the Saxon parliament for 1833–1952 is not too far off. With the vitae here and the photodocumentation of Döscher and Schröder in Sächsische Parliamentarier 1869–1918 (see RREA 7:326), a large part of the work has already been done. Meanwhile, Matzerath’s works— especially the third volume—should be made available in research and parliamentary libraries. [jl/hsb]

Liegnitzer Lebensbilder des Stadt- und Landkreises [Biographical Dictionary for the City and District of Liegnitz]. Ed. Hubert Unverricht. Hofheim/Taunus: Henske-Neumann. 21 cm. (Beiträge zur Liegnitzer Geschichte der Historischen Gesellschaft Liegnitz e.V., ...). [02-1-182]

Vol. 1. A–L. 2001. 402 p. ill. (..., 31). ISBN 3-9806640-2-3: EUR 38.35

St. Johanneskirche zu Liegnitz [St. John’s Church in Liegnitz]. Wolfgang Scholz. Hofheim/Taunus: Henske-Neumann, 2000. 110 p. 21 cm. (..., 30). ISBN 3-9806640-1-5: EUR 17.90 [02-1-183]

Perhaps more dictionary-like than many biographical dictionaries, the Lebensbilder volume contains some 540 entries (mostly quite brief ) for persons (including some who are still alive) who lived in Liegnitz, a Silesian town now Polish (Legnica), but earlier part of Germany or ruled by German princes. The well-known mingle with the relatively obscure here, and the work’s reference value rests chiefly with the latter. The entries—headed with name, profession, birth and death dates, and residence at time of death—are signed. Fairly extensive bibliographical information on both primary and secondary literature is included. In contrast to similar works for other formerly German areas, political nostalgia is scrupulously avoided in this dictionary, which will find a place in those research libraries that collect comparable works. The second, concluding volume is projected for late 2002 or early 2003.

A companion volume, St. Johanneskirche zu Liegnitz, profiles priests who either grew up in Liegnitz/Legnica or served the local church during the 20th century. The entries range widely in length and detail, and the sources are only generically referred to. [sh/gw]

Schleswig-Holstein Lexikon: Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft, Politik, Kultur [Encyclopedia of Schleswig-Holstein: Society, Economy, Politics, Culture]. Ed. Hans Duggen and Göttrik Wewer. Opladen: Leske + Budrich, 2002. viii, 358 p. ill. 21 cm. (Altenholzer Schriften). ISBN 3-8100-2025-7: EUR 24.90 [02-1-184]

Modeled on a similar work covering North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW-Lexikon; see RREA 6:300), this encyclopedia contains 142 signed articles on various topics as they pertain to the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Since its focus is decidedly contemporary, it may be excusable that it appeared five years after its scheduled publication date, but not that the contents were not brought up to date in the meantime. For instance, in the article on “Libraries,” statistics for the various libraries are for 1999 or earlier, and the new library building at the University of Kiel is reported as “scheduled for completion in 2001.” There is no index, unlike in the NRW-Lexikon which offers both a keyword index and a thematic overview of the contents. Fortunately, an excellent, comprehensive, and much less time-bound treatment of this German state, also entitled Schleswig-Holstein Lexikon (see RREA 7:337), is also available. [sh/gw]

Lebensbilder Thüringer Archivare: als Festschrift zum 50. Thüringischen Archivtag 2001 [Biographies of Thuringian Archivists: A Festschrift on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Thuringian Archivist Conference, 2001]. Ed. Katrin Breger for the Vorstand des Thüringer Archivarverbandes. Rudolstadt: Thüringer Archivarverband, 2001. 272 p. ill. 23 cm. ISBN 3-00-007914-9: EUR 10.00 (Thüringer Archivarverband, c/o Thüringisches Staatsarchiv Rudolstadt, Schloss Heidecksburg, D-07407 Rudolstadt, fax [49 3672] 4319931) [02-1-185]

The Thuringian Archivist Association, today a regional branch of the national German Archivists Association, grew out of the oldest archivist organization in Germany, which was founded in 1886 and held its first conference in 1897. This Festschrift was published to celebrate the fiftieth Thuringian Archives Conference in 2001 and highlights the biographies of 40 deceased Thuringian archivists. The 34 authors of this collection represent diverse aspects of the field, as do the archivists included in the volume. The length and content of the contributions vary widely. Each entry contains a section “Sources and Literature” that notes the repository for manuscript materials and refers to bibliographies of works by the subjects. Short biographies for most of the Thuringian archivists in this collection are also included in Wolfgang Leeschs’ Die deutschen Archivare (München, 1985–1992). [sh/msc]

Handbuch der deutschen Geschichte [Handbook of German History]. Founded by Bruno Gebhardt; ed. Wolfgang Reinhard and Rolf Häfele. 10th completely rev. ed. Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta. 22 cm. [02-2-450]

Vol. 9. Probleme deutscher Geschichte 1495–1806. Reichsreform und Reformation 1495–1555 [Problems of German History, 1495–1806. Imperial Reform and Reformation, 1495–1555]. Wolfgang Reinhard. 2001. xx, 414 p. ISBN 3-608-60009-4: EUR 40.00
Vol. 10. Konfessionelles Zeitalter 1555–1618 [Age of Denominationalism, 1555–1618]. Maximilian Lanzinner; Dreißigjähriger Krieg 1618–1648 [Thirty Years War, 1618–1648]. Gerhard Schormann. 2001. xlviii, 320 p. ISBN 3-608-60010-8: EUR 40.00

The so-called Gebhardt has served for generations as an indispensable reference for the study of history. Its beginnings go back to 1891, when a teacher, Bruno Gebhardt, along with 11 other authors, organized the first edition for school use. Starting with the 7th edition in 1930, prepared by university professors, the elevated tone and substance of the volumes began to adapt more to the needs of higher education. In 1999, a pocketbook edition of the 22-volume ninth edition appeared (and is still in print). It is understandable, though, that after so many decades a completely revised version became necessary. This latest edition began in 2001, and will eventually grow to encompass 24 volumes. For the first time, a cumulative index will be available. The publisher’s brochure claims that this edition will be the last to appear in “classical book form.” If true, this would be just cause for mourning. The questions and conclusions of current historiography present themselves in the appropriate venues within the volumes, and the overall concept combines sub-disciplines such as economic, social, intellectual, and regional history into the ebb and flow of the entirety, while embedding German history in its European context. The very handy volumes are well-designed and almost luxurious. In view of the high price, a more economical study version would be desirable, especially for student use. [wl/rdh]

Frauen im Parlament: südwestdeutsche Parlementarierinnen von 1919 bis heute [Women in Parliament: Southwest German Women Parliamentarians from 1919 to Today]. Ina Hochreuther. Ed. Landtag of Baden-Württemberg, 2002. 2d rev. and updated ed. Stuttgart: Landtag von Baden-Württemberg, 2002. 373 p. ill. 20 cm. ISBN 3-923476-15-9: EUR 15.00 (Landtag..., Konrad-Adenauer-Str. 3, D-70173 Stuttgart, e-mail: post@landtag-bw.de) [02-2-452]

The first edition of this compilation by Ina Hochreuther appeared in 1992 with short biographies for 130 female members from Southwest Germany in the Reichstag, Bundestag, and European Parliament, and in the parliaments of Baden-Württemberg and its predecessor states. The volume had several indexes and a list of sources and bibliography for each entry. Ten years later, to create a “scholarly tool,” a chronological index has been added that identifies the contemporary electoral district(s) served by the deputies. The new edition is 125 pages longer, because the number of women parliamentarians has doubled in only 10 years. Despite some mislabeling of the excellent photographs, the work is recommended for collections supporting research on Southwestern Germany. [jl/jpn]

Die 25 Münchner Stadtbezirke: eine Auswahlbibliographie [The 25 Districts of Munich: A Select Bibliography]. Karen Siebert for the Landeshauptstadt München (Kulturreferat, Monacensia). München: Buchendorfer, 2001. 190 p. 21 cm. ISBN 3-934036-59-7: EUR 12.80 [02-2-458]

The Monacensia, an archive and library that is part of the Munich city library, published this select bibliography in 2001 as an aid for local historians. Regular updates are supposed to be reflected on the homepage at http://www.muenchen.de/monacensia, but a spot check on August 11, 2002, did not detect any revisions. After an initial section of “general literature” (about more than one district), the 25 further sections—one for each district—follow, with the bibliographic entries sub-arranged in four categories: “historical development and events,” “settlement patterns,” “institutions,” and “people.” The final section, of “additional titles,” contains only references to literature that “has not yet been inventoried in the Monacensia.” The entries vary in their level of detail. Because of the limited scope of this select bibliography (it contains no citations to pamphlets or newspaper articles), local historians will have to continue to visit the Monacensia library and its knowledgeable staff. An expertly compiled and annotated bibliography on Munich and its role as the state capital remains a desideratum. [sh/rs]

Berlin-Mitte: das Lexikon [Central Berlin: A Dictionary]. Kathrin Chod, Herbert Schwenk, and Hainer Weißpflug. Ed. Hans-Jürgen Mende. Berlin: Stapp, 2001. 808 p. ill. 22 cm. ISBN 3-87776-111-9: EUR 22.90 [02-2-460]

This title may seem familiar, even though it has yet to appear in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie [German National Bibliography]. In fact, a similar title, Das Berliner Bezirkslexikon. Mitte, also appeared in 2001, and the work at hand is largely identical to that title, except for a few small variations in the appendices. One hopes that Die Deutsche Bibliothek, if it someday receives its copy of this work and lists it in the DNB, will add a footnote indicating the duplication and thus spare libraries unnecessary expense. [sh/dsa]

Salzburger Kulturlexikon [Salzburg Cultural Lexicon]. Ed. Adolf Haslinger and Peter Mittermayr. 2d ed. Salzburg: Residenz-Verlag, 2001. 600 p. ill. 25 cm. ISBN 3-7017-1129-1: EUR 50.00 [02-1-186]

In contrast to the city dictionaries for Bremen (see RREA 8:252) and Nürnberg (see RREA 8:248), the Salzburg Cultural Lexicon focuses on the culture of both the city and province of Salzburg, including art and architecture, archaeology, literature, music, folk culture, the sciences, and technology. The short articles on people (including those still living), institutions, concepts, buildings, etc. provide brief bibliographies and good illustrations. The appendix includes lists of bishops and archbishops, information about state coats of arms, and a list of townships, among other things. This new edition in larger format replaces the 1987 edition and is recommended for all larger libraries. [sh/ab]

Basel-Lexikon [Basel Lexicon]. Fränzi Jenny. Basel: Jenny & Gugger, 2001. 431 p. ill. 25 cm. ISBN 3-9522110-0-1: SFr. 89.00 (Verlag Jenny & Gugger, Postfach, CH-4005 Basel, fax [41 61] 681 0861) [02-1-187]

The Basel-Lexikon was produced rapidly in conjunction with the quincentenary of Basel’s membership in the Swiss Confederation. Arranged in separate sections for Basel, Riehen, and Bettingen, the lexicon covers the usual topics in very brief articles with very small illustrations. Bibliographic references are lacking and cross-references are deficient. Purchase is not recommended. [sh/ab]

Biel: stadtgeschichtliches Lexikon; von der Römerzeit (Petinesca) bis Ende der 1930er Jahre; historisch, biographisch, topographisch; mit Ergänzungen für den Zeitraum bis 1999 [Biel: Historical City Lexicon; From Roman Times (Petinesca) to the End of the 1930s; History, Biography, Topography; With Additions for the Period to 1999]. Werner Bourquin and Marcus Bourquin. Biel: Gassmann, 1999. 551 p. ill. 27 cm. ISBN 3-906140-40-7: SFr. 185.00 [02-1-188]

The strong historical emphasis of this lexicon is due to the dedicated work of Werner and Marcus Bourquin, father and son, who both served as city librarian and city archivist of Biel. Although the articles (numbering around 2,500) are brief, they are especially rich in bibliographic references and have good quality black-and-white illustrations. A complete bibliography and a detailed index of persons are included. [sh/ab]

La cultura italiana: percorsi bibliografici [Italian Culture: Bibliographic Overviews]. Ed. Alberto Tommasi and Gherardo Ugolini for the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Berlino. Osnabrück: Rasch, 2002. 180 p. 24 cm. ISBN 3-9353-2644-0: EUR 18.40 [02-2-484]

This volume is aimed primarily at German university lecturers in Italian literature. Freed from the need to provide elementary language instruction, they now often teach aspects of Italian culture, especially contemporary culture; a perceived lack of bibliographical information on current scholarship on such topics is the lacuna the present volume seeks to fill.

Eight chapters cover teaching language and culture; politics; economics and geography; national identity; religion; art; theater; and cinema. This is a highly selective list of topics; a promised further edition will add 10 more.

Each chapter begins with an overview (where relevant web sites are sometimes listed). Following are recommended books, either in the context of an essay or as individual book reviews of a page or so. Under “Religion,” for example, six books are treated individually: the three volume Storia dell’Italia religiosa (Roma, 1993–1995) and three more monographs on 20th-century Italian Catholicism, while two further titles are discussed under the subheading “Religious Life at the End of the 20th Century.” In view of the audience, this may be adequate, but further chapters raise doubts: for example, under “History of Art” there are six reviews, but this equals one book per century for the period from the Middle Ages to the present, which seems rather meager. The book concludes with an index of authors and persons, a topical index, and a list of the 73 books covered.

This is fine for the target audience. It doesn’t help libraries much: those serving this clientele will want to buy some, but not all, of the works included; and for collection development purposes they will not want to limit their acquisitions to what they find here. [sh/dss]

Encyklopedia Wroclawia [Encyclopedia of Wroclaw (Breslau)]. Ed. Jan Harasimowicz. Wroclaw: Wyd. Dolnoslaskie, 2001. 999 p. ill. 30 cm. ISBN 83-7023-749-5: DM 215.00 [02-1-189]

In contrast to the disappointing Wroclaw od A do Z [Wroclaw from A to Z] (see IFB 99-1/4-459), the Encyklopedia Wroclawia is outstanding. It covers both the long German history of the city and the Polish present in about 7,000 signed articles. Arrangement is by Polish name with cross references from an index of German names. The bibliography lists mainly Polish as well as some German monographs. A German-language edition would facilitate the desirable dissemination of this work, which could replace Das Breslau-Lexikon (Dülmen,1994). [sh/ab]

Bibliographie zur Geschichte und Kultur der Bessarabiendeutschen 1918–1940 [Bibliography of the History and Culture of the Bessarabian Germans, 1918–1940]. Olga Schroeder-Negru. Essen: Klartext-Verlag, 2001. vii, 128 p. 21 cm. (Forschungen zur Geschichte und Kultur der Rußlanddeutschen, 11, Sonderheft). EUR 13.00 [02-1-190]

Updating the Bibliographie über das Bessarabiendeutschtum [Bibliography of the Bessarabian Germans] of 1970, this work covers the period from the union of Bessarabia with Rumania after World War I to the Hitler-Stalin pact which ceded it to the Soviet Union, a period intentionally excluded from volume 2 of the extensive Bibliographie zur Geschichte und Kultur der Russlanddeutschen [Bibliography of the History and Culture of Russian-Germans] (see RREA 7:345). Nineteen subject categories contain 1,327 carefully selected works in all languages, although primarily German, followed by Rumanian and Russian. Indexes by personal and place names and by periodical titles are included. Holding libraries are indicated for monographs. [sh/ab]

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