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2007
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DG – Europe
Württembergische Biographien: unter Einbeziehung Hohenzollerischer Persönlichkeiten [Württemberg Biographies, Including Hohenzollern Personalities]. Ed. Maria Magdalena Rückert for the Kommission für Geschichtliche Landeskunde in Baden-Württemberg. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer. 33 cm. [07-1-241]
Vol. 1. 2006 [i.e. 2007]. xxvi, 347 p. ISBN 3-89705-343-8: EUR 36
Since many references to this long-anticipated work were made in earlier reviews of the most recent volumes of Badenwürttembergische Biographien and Badische Biographien (see RREA 12:133), and its layout and style are identical, this is a relatively brief review. The entire work is expected to be complete in five volumes, and its ca. 900 entries are intended to cover persons from Wüttemberg and Hohenzollern who died between 1918 and 1951. This will fill the gap left between the Württembergischer Nekrolog (with coverage to 1928) and the Baden-württembergische Biographien (see RREA 9:176), which covers persons deceased since 1952 from both of the formerly separated states.
The biographical entries in this first volume–described as “brief biographies” in the foreword–are in fact quite complete, with an average length of three-and-a-half columns and with entries twice that long for many prominent persons. The layout of the entries is exemplary, including a summary of genealogical data, a tabular presentation of biographical highlights, awards and honors, the biographical essay, and often very complete lists of sources as well as bibliographies of a person’s works.
The editor’s preface presents a statistical breakdown of the listed persons by origin, religious confession, occupation/profession and gender. (The proportion of entries for women is, at 19, relatively small, considering the reporting period reaches far back into the 19th century).
The close relationship between Württembergische Biographien, the works mentioned above, and Lebensbilder aus Baden-Württemberg (see RREA 9:177 and 12:221) is also apparent in the index to this volume, which includes names from the earlier titles. With the combined entries now numbering 1,634 and growing, Baden-Wuerttemberg boasts the most complete biographical reference coverage for figures dating from the mid-19th century of any German state. This is all the more reason to eagerly await an expedited appearance of the four volumes yet to be published, which would make up for the much-belated appearance (it was originally announced for the first half of 2004) of this initial volume. [sh/kst]
Stadtatlas Nürnberg: Karten und Modelle von 1492 bis heute [Nuremberg City Atlas: Maps and Models from 1492 to the Present]. Franz Schiermeier for the Stadtarchiv Nürnberg, Stadtmuseum Nürnberg, and Staatsarchiv Nürnberg. [München]: [Schiermeier], 2006. 212 p. ill. maps. 33 x 27 x 9 cm. + CD-ROM. ISBN 978-3-9809147-7-2: EUR 94 (Schiermeier, Waltherstr. 28, D-80337 München, e-mail: info@stadtatlas-muenchen.de) [07-1-243]
Stadtatlas Nürnberg offers great value for only 94 euros, since the heavy boxed set (covered in linen in the red-and-white Nuremberg city colors) comes trebly equipped. It contains (1) a book, presenting a total of 62 maps, plans, and city models in words and pictures; (2) 17 large-format map facsimiles on folded single sheets; and (3) a CD-ROM containing 30 digital facsimiles. All of the components are well thoughtout and designed for easy usability. For instance, one simply opens the CD-ROM’s pdf files in a browser and views them in Acrobat Reader without installing a special viewer or application. The design of the book is also successful. In the main section, the explanatory notes for each map are on the left page of a double-page spread, and the right page contains the fold-out map accompanying it. Thus no part of the spread disappears into the crease of the book, and the unfolded map is easy to view from all points. The printing quality of the supplementary facsimile maps is flawless. Due to their large format, a big table is certainly needed, particularly for Hieronymus Braun’s monumental city view of 1608, which spreads across two sheets. Obviously not all of the maps could be reproduced to their original size; therefore, it would have been useful to include the scale of the supplementary maps at the corresponding place in the book.
The map section of the book is framed by an almost 40-page, copiously illustrated introduction to Nuremberg’s cartographic history, and an appendix that includes biographical information in addition to references. To understand better the historical maps, the main section begins with a geological map and a relief map. The latter, however, lacks orientation points of any kind and thus is not very meaningful to the layperson. An Etzlaub map of 1492 begins the chronological presentation; ten pieces from the 16th century, eight from the 17th century, and seven from the 18th century follow. The 19th century is represented by 15 items and the 20th by 18 items. The volume concludes with the city model of 2006. Special maps are also included in addition to maps of the city and surrounding area, for example, a map of the urban area flooded in 1784 or of the water pipeline network in 1910. Official cartography outweighs private cartography. In addition to maps and plans, that is, two-dimensional representations, city models are also included and are shown from a slanted view. The series begins with Hans Baier’s wooden model of 1540, widely regarded as Germany’s oldest city model, followed by those of 1618, 1935/39, 1950, and 2006. The instructive accompanying text situates all of the maps and models in the context of their creation and above all also provides information about the development of Nuremberg’s built environment. At times, the absence of detailed commentary on individual objects is noticeable, since descriptive data such as original title, scale, technique, dimensions, and provenance are given in a fixed schematic.
The maps and texts offer a real treasure trove to all those interested in the Franconian metropolis. It is fascinating to read, for instance, about the previously explosive military or political character of many maps that seem completely harmless today. The author also knowledgably treats aspects of surveying and map production techniques; in the introduction, for example, a good deal of interesting information is learned about the history and practice of the Bavarian topographical survey. The modern history of the city is mirrored particularly meaningfully in maps such as the depressing Gesamtschadensplan (complete map of damages) of 1945, which painstakingly documents the almost total destruction of the city center. In any case, even Nurembergers well-versed in history can discover much previously unknown to them and learn something new by browsing these maps.
It is inevitable that some points of criticism can also be made about a work of this nature. For example, the text contains some comma errors and is not always entirely successful stylistically. Of course, such small blemishes do not minimize the author’s great accomplishment or the enormous value of the cartography, which addresses itself to specialists as well as the broader, historically interested public. The Stadtatlas Nürnberg will undoubtedly become an almost immediate standard work of Nuremberg city history.
The reader is also referred to another outstanding reference work on Nuremberg, the 1,247-page Stadtlexikon Nürnberg first published in 1999, containing over 5,500 signed articles about the city. The 2002 2d edition was reviewed in RREA 8:248, and the encyclopedia is now available free at http://www.stadtarchiv.nuernberg.de/stadtlexikon. [hdw/tl]
Landeskundlich-historisches Lexikon Mecklenburg-Vorpommern [Geographical-Historical Dictionary for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]. Ed. Thomas Gallien for the Geschichtswerkstatt Rostock and the Landesheimatverband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Rostock: Hinstorff, 2007. 765 p. ill. maps. 24 cm. ISBN 978-3-356-01092-3: EUR 49.90. [07-1-244]
Other than for the south, geographical dictionaries for the northern states of Germany have long been available. There are, for example, reference works for the city-states of Berlin (see RREO 95-2-282), Bremen (see RREA 10:244), and Hamburg (see RREA 12:225), and the more broadly oriented Schleswig-Holstein-Lexikon (see RREA 12:255) is already in its 2d edition. It appears to have served as a model for this Lexikon Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Like the SHL it is comprised of articles covering geographical and historical and subjects and persons (exclusively deceased), and is nearly as large. The individual articles for places–even the larger cities–and persons, although longer on average than those of the SHL, are brief; mostly two columns or less not counting illustrations. There are longer articles for broader concepts such as agriculture, and survey articles on such subjects as music, fine arts, and literature, subdivided as needed into sections for Mecklenburg and Vorpommern. Each city has an entry, and there are articles for many smaller localities that have regional significance. The location of geographical places is indicated by a red dot on an otherwise blank outline of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern set into the broad margin next to each entry. In contrast to the SHL the volume features several useful thematic maps, but unfortunately it also lacks a larger fold-out map on which all geographical entries might have been indicated. Another improvement on the SHL: bibliographical references at the end of each article. The author of each entry is given in abbreviated form, and a key to the abbreviations includes brief biographical data as well as each author’s full name.
Like the SHL, the Landeskundlich-historisches Lexikon Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, is meant for a lay audience, not in the least for the schoolchildren of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Nonetheless, it should prove a useful reference work for libraries in all parts of Germany, and a model for preparing similar works for additional German states. [sh/kst]
Hannover: Kunst- und Kulturlexikon; Handbuch und Stadtführer [Hannover: Lexicon of Art and Culture. Handbook and Tour Guide]. Helmut Knocke and Hugo Thielen. 4th updated and rev. ed. Springe: zu Klampen, 2007. 288 p. ill. 22 cm. ISBN 978-3-934920-53-8: EUR 19.90 [07-2-605]
This substantially revised 4th edition of a work first published in 1994 focuses on one aspect of Hannover life: its art and culture. The work is intended as a combination lexicon, handbook, and tour guide. The first, handbook-style section is devoted to a history of the town, arranged by theme (p. 10-68). It is followed by a lexicon of architectural and cultural monuments, which includes locations and maps, and so might be used as tour guide (p. 69-220). Section Three includes 14 articles on cultural institutions and associations (p. 221-26); and Section Four (p. 227-56) is composed of articles on around 100 figures from the past associated with Hannover (albeit in some cases peripherally). The appendix includes a very short bibliography and indexes of persons, streets, and objects (e.g., in museums). The attempt to combine lexicon, handbook, and tour guide in this work is on the whole unsuccessful; a classic, scholarly lexicon of the town of Hannover thus remains a desideratum. [sh/cjm]
Bonner Personenlexikon [Biographical Dictionary of Bonn]. Josef Niesen. Bonn: Bouvier, 2007. 439 p. ill. 21 cm. ISBN 978-3-416-03159-2: EUR 22 [07-1-245]
Little is known about the compiler of this volume apart from the information available on his website (http://www.niesen-artist.de), where he identifies himself as a painter residing in Bonn. In this work, he has collected biographical sketches of “538 persons from the history of Bonn,” selected and distributed (oddly enough) into two unevenly sized sections according to their significance in the city’s history. The first of these purportedly consists of “persons born in, or long-time residents of Bonn, and those who died there;” however, these criteria are not strictly adhered to. The entries include persons whose association with Bonn consists of relatively brief periods as students, for example Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Kaiser Wilhelm II. For prominent figures such as these, the entries–advertised as “brief yet comprehensive”–are hardly informative. The compiler would have done better to include less famous but more typical examples from the ranks of students in Bonn, most especially women, who are badly underrepresented in the work. Moreover, the inclusion of persons whose only association with Bonn is that they met their demise there, and, conversely, the omission of figures, such as Ludwig Rickert (Lord Mayor of the city from 1933-1945), leads one to question the validity of the selection criteria. The entries in this section also lack bibliographical footnotes, ending instead with references to entries for persons related to the one in question.
The second section of the book, according to the compiler, contains an overview of famous persons who have visited Bonn for various reasons. He states that his intention is to focus only on the period and purpose of their visits, since the persons included are sufficiently well known that general biographical information will be readily available in other reference works. Apart from the fact that this could apply just as well to many persons listed in the earlier section, the author fails to adhere to his avowed purpose in several instances (Brahms and Goethe, for example), giving them entries fully as detailed and long as those of the first section.
There are two additional sections: “Bonn in Lists and Tables,” which includes population figures and lists of officials, state visits, and prominent persons from various occupations in Bonn; and “Historical Data,” which includes a chronology and information about the city in relation to significant historical events.
The bibliography is arranged by author, and includes references to monographic works about the individuals listed in the work. It is inexplicable why these could not have been listed–or at least referred to–in the respective entries for these individuals, an omission that one would think the publisher might have insisted be corrected. All in all, it might have been better had the publisher advised the compiler to stick to his primary vocation. The Personenlexikon will at best serve merely to identify the names of persons associated with Bonn; for information regarding those persons, one is better off going to other biographical dictionaries such as the Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB) [Universal German Biography] or Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB) [New German Biography]. There is then, little reason to acquire this work, and we still lack a biographical dictionary with appropriately referenced articles selected according to coherent criteria for the city of Bonn. [sh/kst]
Kölner Personen-Lexikon [Lexicon of Cologne Personages]. Ed. Ulrich S. Soénius and Jürgen Wilhelm. Köln: Greven, 2008. 605 p. ill. 25 cm. ISBN 978-3-7743-0400-0: EUR 49.90 [07-2-610]
Intended as a complement to Jürgen Wilhelm’s 2005 Grosse Köln-Lexikon (see RREA 11:189), which is devoted to things, this work features around 1,600 articles on Cologne personages from antiquity to the present. The articles are short (up to four columns in length), and the majority of them are without bibliographies. An appendix includes a list of biographical reference works on the history of Cologne; but there are no crossreferences between this list and the texts of the articles. Although purportedly written by “specialist authors,” this lexicon, like its 2005 predecessor, is suitable for a general audience (including the citizens of Cologne) rather than a scholarly one. [sh/cjm]
Kulturatlas Westfalen: Sämtliche 231 Städte und Gemeinden in Westfalen; Museen, Galerien, Theater, Veranstaltungen, Sehenswürdigkeiten u.v.m; Texte, Karten, Fotos [A Cultural Atlas of Westphalia, Including 231 Towns and Cities in Westphalia, Museums, Galleries, Theaters, Events, Sights, and Much More, with Texts, Maps, Photos]. Ed. Klaus Temlitz for the Geographische Kommission für Westfalen. Münster: Aschendorff, 2007. viii, 427 p. ill. maps. 24 cm. + 1 map suppl. Previous title: Kulturatlas Westfalen-Lippe. ISBN 978-3-402-15565-3: EUR 19.80 [07-1-246]
This directory appeared for the first time in 2000 under the title Kulturatlas Westfalen-Lippe, and the 231 alphabetical entries for cities and towns in this edition continue to cover parts of Lippe, despite the shortened title. Each entry is headed by a text box with colored background that gives essential data including city name and seal, Internet URL, population, size (area), elevation, and references and coordinates to the accompanying maps. The header is followed by the names and directory information of cultural institutions and amenities listed under eight categories: museums and collections, theaters, galleries and exhibit halls, festivals and fairs, observatories and planetaria, zoological gardens, botanical gardens, and other noteworthy sights. There are five appendices ranging from a description of 21 tourist routes and the eight “Westfälische Wege” (with maps that feature pictograms of points of interest that are cross-referenced in the header for the appropriate city) to subject and alphabetical indexes of the institutions listed and a perpetual calendar of annual events.
Astonishing is the absence of listings for libraries and archives, which–along with more extensive listings for other institutions in further categories (education, societies, media, etc.)–can be found only in the Web version of the book (http://www.lwl.org/kulturatlas) along with updates to the printed text (the first one available in pdf format is dated August 2007; a further update was announced for February 2008). The existence of a much more complete Internet edition does lead one to question whether the print publication is even necessary. [sh/kst]
Quellen zur historischen Landeskunde Pommerns: kommentierte Bibliographien zur älteren Landeskunde, zu Reiseberichten, Ortsverzeichnissen und Ortsnamen sowie eine ortskundliche Kartographie [Sources on the Historical Geography of Pomerania: Annotated Bibliographies of Older Studies, Travel Narratives, and Place-Name Indexes, as well as a Cartography of Districts]. Hanns-Björn Rüppell. Falkenberg: Pommerscher Greif, 2006. 272 p. 24 cm. (Materialien zur pommerschen Familienund Ortsgeschichte, 4). ISBN 978-3-9809244-4-3 ISBN 3-9809244-4-0: EUR 20 (e-mail: ralf.wiedemann@pommerscher-greif.de) [07-1-247]
Although not born in Pomerania (his parents grew up there), Hanns-Björn Rüppell wants to help to conserve the German aspects of Pomerania’s history. He carried out research on estates and villages in Eastern Pomerania, and the results from years of his findings are compiled in this publication. The result is an annotated bibliography in four major parts: (1) Historical regional studies, (2) Index of places, (3) Travelogues, and (4) Maps, atlases, and geography. It takes some time to get used to the structure of the bibliography, and some cross-references are missing. The author cites a number of bibliographies of bibliographies but neglects to include Reinhard Oberschelp’s 1997 Die Bibliographien zur deutschen Landesgeschichte und Landeskunde (see RREA 3:227). Rüppell’s annotated bibliography is very useful for researchers of Pomerania’s history and for genealogists. [sh/mr]
Berühmte Persönlichkeiten in Koblenz = Famous Personalities in Koblenz = Personnages célèbres de Coblence. Ed. Ulrich Theuerkauf and Gisela Theuerkauf. Koblenz: Stadtbibliothek, 2007. 227 p. ill. (Veröffentlichungen der Stadtbibliothek Koblenz, 54). ISBN 978-3-926238-38-2: EUR: 15 [07-1-248]
This book contains 17 short biographies of well-known people who were born in, lived in, or simply visited Koblenz, including Goethe, Beethoven, and Karl Baedeker. Generally three to five pages long, the sketches contain a black-and-white picture of the person. The book was published as a catalog to an exhibition organized by the public library of Koblenz and shown there and in partnering cities. This is the reason for including English and French translations. Since this is a catalog and is without cited sources, the book is recommended only for libraries that have a research interest in the history of Koblenz. [sh/mr]
Biografien der Landschaft Angeln: Personenlexikon [Biographies from the Countryside of Anglia: Dictionary of Personages]. Berthold Hamer. 2 vols. Husum: Husum-Druck-und-Verlagsgesellschaft. 872 p. ill. 25 cm. ISBN 978-3-89876-339-4: EUR 59.90 [07-2-615]
This historic region of Germany is a hilly section of Schleswig-Holstein between the Flensburg Fjord and a body of water known as Die Schlei in northeastern Schleswig, roughly bounded by the towns of Flensburg, Schleswig, Eckernförde, and Kappeln. According to the Oxford English Dictionary Online, its early inhabitants, the Angles, were “a Germanic-speaking tribe…which invaded eastern Britain in the 5th century CE, settling the region north of the Thames and ultimately founding the kingdoms of Mercia, East Anglia, and Northumbria.” [OED Online, viewed 27-5- 2010].
Berthold Hamer, born in Flensburg, residing in nearby Glücksburg, and the author of several local and regional histories, presents a noteworthy dictionary with articles on 444 historical personalities and families who come from or have worked in this historic region. He personally wrote all but 56 of the articles. One hundred seventy personages covered here also have entries in the Biographisches Lexikon für Schleswig-Holstein und Lübeck (see RREA 12:233), the organization of which serves as a model for the Anglia biographical dictionary.
Hamer’s articles include genealogical data on who was biologically related, married, or related by marriage to whom. He combed through numerous local sources, such as church books and documents from families and contemporaries. Articles include portraits, genealogical tables, and a bibliography of secondary sources. There is an index of persons, an index of articles, a chronological index, a register of places, and a list of the other contributors. The author might have included a few other indexes, such as a list of professions and of women. However, Hamer’s local historical biography is an excellent model for German regional biographies. [sh/ga]
Historisches Lexikon Wien: in 5 Bänden [Historical Encyclopedia of Vienna in Five Volumes]. Felix Czeike. Wien: Kremayr & Scheriau. 25 cm. ISBN 3-218-00740-2 (set): EUR 349 [07-2-621]
Vol. 6. Ergänzungsband [Supplement]. 2004. xvi, 250 p. ill. ISBN 3-218-00741-0: EUR 89
The first five volumes of this work appeared between 1992 and 1997 and were reviewed in RRE0 95-2-290 and RREA 4:161. In 2004, these five volumes were reprinted and the title changed to … in 6 Bänden (see OCLC# 57408547).
The first five volumes of the Lexikon contain some 7,000 topographical articles. The supplement includes new articles, as well as revisions to some of the articles in volumes 1-5, especially when the structures described have received significant architectural changes. Some of the ca. 9,000 biographies in volumes 1-5 have been supplemented, mainly when the subjects died between 1996 and 2004, although a few new biographies are included as well. The articles close with brief bibliographies and a recommendation to consult the latest Dehio-Handbuch [Wien] (see RREA 10:127) and the latest installments to the Österreichisches biographisches Lexikon for more sources.
The supplement carries over the 40-page list of additions and corrections from the first five volumes, but unfortunately not the index of people and places mentioned within the articles. Despite the disadvantage of having a separate supplemental volume, this historical encyclopedia of Vienna remains the authoritative reference work that matches Vienna’s high rank among Europe’s capital cities. [sh/ga]
Wien-Lexikon: von Albertina bis Zentralfriedhof [Dictionary of Vienna: From the Albertina to the Main Cemetery]. Georg Hamann. Wien: Ueberreuter, 2007. 254 p. ill. 25 cm. ISBN 978-3-8000-7116-6: EUR 24.95 [07-2-622]
The Wien-Lexikon is an alphabetically arranged guide to 109 buildings, public thoroughfares, and cemeteries, all of which, the author claims, represent the city’s most important and best- known historical works of architecture. The descriptions include construction history and personalities involved. The author is an adult-education teacher of the history of architecture and an tour guide in art history, and his book is sponsored by the Cultural Department of the City of Vienna. It has numerous black-and-white photographs, 36 plates of reproductions of color postcards, a name index, and a subject index for structures and institutions. This work is in fact a tour guide, and despite its title, one would never confuse it with the Historisches Lexikon Wien (see RREA 13:241). [sh/ga]
Atlante storico di Venezia: Non in terra, neque in aqua sumus nos viventes [Historical Atlas of Venice: We are Living Neither on Land nor in the Water]. Ed. Giovanni Distefano. Venezia: Supernova, 2007. 1,182 p. ill., maps. 25 cm. ISBN 9788888584775: EUR 60
An RREA Original Review by Thomas M. Izbicki (Rutgers University)
[Editor’s note: This review based on the 2d ed. (Venezia Lido: Supernova, 2008. 1,246 p. ill., maps. 25 cm. ISBN: 9788888548883: EUR 60)]
This large volume is less an atlas than a comprehensive guide to the history of Venice, including the islands of its lagoon. It is heavily illustrated, with pictures in black-and-white accompanying the entries. Maps, however, are relatively few. Following a brief introduction, it provides a detailed chronology from the year 421 CE, the legendary date of the city’s founding, to March 2008. No significant event is left without mention. A brief discussion of the islands of the Venetian Lagoon follows, written by Distefano himself. Next come essays by other contributors on many aspects of Venetian history, including music, the glass industry, and Venetian ships. Each article is signed by its contributor, but none has its own bibliography. This section closes with scenarios for the city’s future written by Giovanni Longhi. The appendices include a bibliography, a chart of the complex governmental organs of the Venetian Republic, a list of doges of Venice, an alphabetical table of Venetian patrician families (surviving and extinct), a list of districts in the Terra Firma ca. 1797, a list of presidents of the municipality, and lists of other office holders relevant to the larger region. The book closes with an index of names of important persons and of notable places, events, and topics. No important personage, from Attila the Hun to Romano Prodi, goes unmentioned. Historic maps of Venice and its possessions appear inside the covers.
“Spanien ist noch nicht erobert!”: Bibliographie der deutschsprachigen Memoiren, Tagebücher, Reiseberichte, zeitgeschichtlichen Abhandlungen und landeskundlichen Schriften über die Iberische Halbinsel im 19. Jahrhundert [“Spain is Not Yet Conquered!”: Bibliography of German-Language Memoirs, Diaries, Travel Accounts, Contemporary Essays, and Geographical and Cultural Writings on the Iberian Peninsula in the 19th Century]. Holger Kürbis. Augsburg: Wißner, 2006. 158 p. ill. 21 cm. (Documenta augustana, 17). ISBN 978-3-89639-527-6: EUR 14 [07-1-249]
The author’s 2003 dissertation focused on German-language accounts of journeys to Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries; in this volume, he turns his attention to the 19th century. His main sources for the bibliography are the systematic catalog of the Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, German OPACs, and some older bibliographies, but in the 19th century, coverage of the different periods in Spain’s history was uneven. More problematically, the author has elected to exclude contributions in journals and newspapers, and to focus on monographic accounts of Spain in the 19th century. Altogether, there are signs of over-reliance on catalogs and earlier bibliographies in this work (for example, the Bibliographie der historischen und Reiseliteratur zur Iberischen Halbinsel (see RREO 95-1-127) and of insufficient first-hand knowledge of primary materials. [sh/cjm]
Wieser-Enzyklopädie des europäischen Ostens [Wieser Encyclopedia of the European East]. Ed. Institut für Geschichte an der Universität Klagenfurt (Abteilung für Information und Dokumentation auf dem Gebiet der Geschichte). Themen-Abteilung [Topics Section], Vols. 11-17. Wieser. 25 cm. EUR 1,700 (prepayment price, 20 vols.), EUR 175 (per individual vol.), EUR 145 (subscription price per individual vol.) [07-1-250]
Vol. 11. Europa und die Grenzen im Kopf [Europe and Borders in the Mind]. Ed. Karl Kaser. 2003. 500 p. ill. + map. ISBN 3-85129-511-0
Vol. 12. Kontinuitäten und Brüche: Lebensformen, Alteingesessene, Zuwanderer von 500 bis 1500 [Continuities and Breaks: Forms of Life, Established Populations, Immigrants from 500 to 1500]. Ed. Karl Kaser et al. 800 p. ISBN: 978-3-85129-512-2 [planned for 2007 but never appeared in print; see RREA 13:247]
The introductory volume (Vorausband) of this projected 20-volume encyclopedia appeared in 1999 (ISBN: 3-85129-500-5); the Survey Volume (Perspektivenband) in 2001 (ISBN 3-85129-400-8: free to subscribers), and the first complete text volume– volume 10–appeared in 2003. Reference Reviews Europe Annual 9 (2003) carried reviews of these latter two volumes (see RREA 9:200 and 9:68); they can also be viewed in Reference Reviews Europe Online (http://rre.casalini.it) in the 2003 section. These reviews give a clear overview and analysis of the encyclopedia’s framework and organization.
Volume 11 features essays by 19 historians, political scientists, and cultural anthropologists from Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Russia, and the USA. Their essays on the imaginary but in reality deeply effective borders in the European East are organized into five thematic areas: (1) Imaginings of Europe and a European East; (2) The “Bridge” and the “Center” as Models of Transformation; (3) Balkanism and Orientalism; (4) Languages, Bodies, and Gender; and (5) Border Construction in Art and Aesthetics.
An appendix contains brief bio-bibliographies of the 19 authors and the three editors, as well as name, subject, and place indexes. There is also a loose-leaf map of the region taken from the Cosmographia (Basel, 1548).
The perspectives and cross-connections discussed in this anthology shed much light on an unfounded Western arrogance vis-à-vis Eastern Europe. This work is especially recommended for understanding the dynamics of today’s European Union, which already has been extended to many of the Central and Southeastern European states covered in this encyclopedia. [ks/ga]
Wieser-Enzyklopädie des europäischen Ostens [Wieser Encyclopedia of the European East]. Dokumente-Abteilung [Documents Section], Vols. 18-20. Klagenfurt: Wieser. 25 cm. EUR 1,700 (prepayment price, 20 vols.), EUR 175 (per individual vol.), EUR 145 (subscription price per individual vol.) [07-1-251]
Vol. 18. 2006. Selbstbild und Fremdbilder der Völker des europäischen Ostens [Self-Image and Foreign Perceptions of the Peoples of the European East]. Ed. Karl Kaser and Martin Prochazka. 681 p. ISBN 978-3-85129-518-4
The volumes of this section contain documents on the subjects of the previous seven volumes of the Topics Section. These source materials are excerpts from the originals and are translated into German when the original is in another language. The time period they cover ranges from mythical origins to the present, and the almost 250 source fragments are grouped around ten thematic areas:
Volume 18 is intended for the interested lay public, which explains why documents are translated into German and sometimes significantly abridged. The reader gets a multifaceted view and an impression of the peoples and regions, backed up with documentary evidence and testimony. The editors intentionally avoided a strict historical-chain-of-events approach or a tendency to describe the regions and peoples in us-vs.-them representations. The Documents Section offers a meaningful and important supplement to the previous volumes and takes the reader into the historian’s “workshop” without unnecessarily burdening the reader with a multitude of languages. [ks/ga]
Enzyklopädie des europäischen Ostens: EEO. Klagenfurt: Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt. 2006. http://eeo.uni-klu.ac.at/index.php/Hauptseite [visited 2010-05-10]
An RREA Original Review by Gordon Anderson (University of Minnesota)
In 2006, the Enzyklopädie des europäischen Ostens was discontinued in print, with the contents of the published volumes integrated into a multifaceted Web site supported by the Austrian Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur [Federal Ministry for Instruction, Art, and Culture–http://www.bmukk.gv.at].
Freely available to the public, the EEO is an online reference work on the history, culture, and politics of the 22 countries of Europe’s East–Albania, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, and Ukraine. The online edition includes the full text of volumes 10-12 [the latter was not published in print] of the encyclopedia, plus many other links and features.
The core of the encyclopedia is the alphabetical Lexikon (see RREA 9:68), which contains a keyword index and the texts of the 113 articles in volume 10. The language dictionary (Sprachlexikon) provides one- to several-page articles on almost every language spoken in Europe’s east, from Abkhazian (Abchasisch) to Volga-Bulgarian (Wolgabulgarisch). The keyword index points not only to the articles on the languages but also to place-names and historical terms within these articles. Language maps by region are also provided, but these are drawn in bright, basic colors and do not convey the subtleties, blending, and local admixtures of languages that a fine, delicately shaded printed map illustrates so well. Also included is a useful transliteration (or Romanization) table for the Cyrillicalphabet languages. It is refreshing to see that in many instances the table conforms closely to the Library of Congress Romanization scheme for these languages, particularly in the consonant clusters ч(č), ш(š), and щ (šč). Many conventional Germanizations remain (e.g., Tschechisch [Czech]), but for lesser encountered names the new scheme is used, for example, the Russian town Čusovoi (instead of Tschussowoi). Places once part of Germany or the German or Austrian realm are listed by the German name, not their current name (e.g., Stettin, not Szczecin).
The thematic section contains the pdf files for volume 11 (Europa und die Grenzen im Kopf) and volume 12 (Kontinuitäten und Brüche), which are discussed in RREA 13:245. The appendix to volume 11 has been moved to a separate section on the main page, which makes it very easy to search for bio-bibliographies of all the authors in the encyclopedia as well as in the entire bibliography.
The documents section has an archive of pictures, both historical and contemporary, and a collection of maps, although it apparently does not yet have the documents included in print in volume 18. The pictures (jpg files) come with links to relevant articles; the maps are basic grey-scale drawings with captions and insertions and contain production and other related information. For example, the document Nordosteuropäische Völker 10.Jh.jpg [Northeastern European Peoples, 10th Century], has a concordance for many of the names, giving their variants (from German) in the appropriate other languages.
The work concludes with an author index (with links to the author’s articles), a bibliography, and a sitemap. The bibliography contains a section devoted to Internet resources, which range from the specific, e.g., the Classic Lithuanian Literature Anthology (http://anthology.lms.lt) to the general, e.g., LoveToKnow Classic Encyclopedia (http://www.1911encyclopedia.org). The sitemap gives an easy-to-understand outline of the encyclopedia, with links to the sections and documents therein.
The authors’ and editors’ effort and dedication given to the Enzyklopädie des europäischen Ostens: EEO are truly commendable. This is an important resource for understanding the historical and contemporary aspects of the other half of Europe, and the EEO should be a part of every Slavic/East European student and scholar’s research toolkit.
Bibliographie zur Kultur und Landeskunde der Bukowina [Bibliography of the Culture and Geography of Bukovina]. Erich Beck. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. 25 cm. (Studien der Forschungsstelle Ostmitteleuropa an der Universität Dortmund, ...). [07-1-254]
1991/95. 2006. lx, 895 p. (..., 41). ISBN 978-3-447-05400-3: EUR 148
Bukovina is a historic region of the Austrian Empire (1775-1918) currently split between Ukraine and Romania. Awareness of Bukovina–an “outpost of the Danube Monarchy”is increasing in the German-speaking world, as shown by significantly higher numbers of articles in the German press in the past few years. In a sense, Bukovina is being rediscovered as “belonging” to the West.
The bibliographer Erich Beck published two earlier volumes on the topic of Bukovina in the same University of Dortmund series in 1999 and 2003, respectively, covering the periods of publication from 1966 to 1975 and from 1976 to 1990. The volume reviewed here covers the five-year period from 1991 to 1995. There was an average of 1,337 titles per year in the earlier bibliographic volumes, but in this one the average has leapt to 2,248 annual entries: this reflects not only increased literary production, but also the fact that more sources became publicly available after the political upheavals of 1989/1990. In fact, there are so many that there was no room for them in the volume at hand, and their publication has had to be delayed until the anticipated five-year volume for 1996-2000, to appear later.
As in past volumes, a finely systematized organization is found in the newest volume. With 5,100 entries, the expansive chapter on biographies includes about one half of all titles. The native Bukovina author Paul Celan, who found great success in Western literary circles, for instance, is represented, but the compiler makes reference to other specialized Celan bibliographies rather than offering an extensive and redundant indexing of his works. As before, unfortunately, the volume offers only an index of authors who contributed articles to it. It would be desirable if the names of discussed individuals could at least be identified as to profession, activities and place of birth. In any case, the hope remains that the work at hand can serve as a springboard for an eventual biographical encyclopedia of Bukovina, which would crown the life’s work of this bibliographer. [sh/rdh]
Die Bukowina: Erkundungen einer Kulturlandschaft; ein Reisefuhrer [Bukovina: Explorations of a Cultural Landscape. A Travel Guide]. Kurt Scharr. Wien: Böhlau, 2007. 155, [16] p. 24 cm. ill. ISBN 978-3-205-77576-8: EUR 19.90 [7-1-255]
Bukovina–etymologically derived from “Beech Land”–is a lost German cultural space in Eastern Europe. Its significance for German literature is measured by such names as Paul Celan and Gregor von Rezzori. The latter penned Stories of the Maghreb, which established a literary monument for this region within its unique but short-lived age, with its tensions but also its widespread tolerance among Germans, Jews, Romanians, Ukrainians, and Poles. Calling a nearly forgotten area back to our collective memory is Kurt Scharr’s achievement. This guide to travel and culture is not only historical: it weaves recent events into the tapestry as well, such as Romania’s entry into the EU and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine.
Among the sights of Bukovina, its famous cloisters with richly painted outer walls have earned the designation of “world cultural heritage” sites. Other tourist attractions, such as its natural wonders, have yet not been adequately depicted. This travel guide seeks to awaken a sense of curiosity about this land far from the usual tourist routes and depends to great extent on refined cultural sensibilities. Naturally the historical and cultural descriptions are not free of nostalgic sentiment about the “good old” days of Austrian monarchy, which can still be found in the region. But the author has not limited his vision to rose-colored glasses. The much-praised multiculturalism of the region’s 19thcentury origins is long past, only to be found in the architecture. A creeping ethnic cleansing, set in place as early as 1918, was encouraged by annexation to Romania and found its high point under the Nazis and its completion as part of the Soviet Union. True to its title, the travel guide recommends routes and city sights in both parts of Bukovina, divided since 1945. Emphasis is on historical, cultural, and contemporary details, especially for the former important city of Czernowitz in Ukraine and in and around Suceava in Romania. Historical maps are reproduced but not transliterated; most are given in the original Cyrillic script. There are many illustrations and photos, but the black-and-white reproductions don’t show the full charm of the landscape, and they accentuate the post-Soviet tristesse a bit too much. This guide is recommended for anyone who wishes to investigate Bukovina more closely. [ks/rdh]
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