The Correspondence between Adolf Harnack and Friedrich Althoff (1886-1908). Edition, Introduction, Commentary and Index

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Wolfram Kinzig; Professor Dr. Gerrit Walther
• Subject Area: History of Science ; Protestant Theology ; Modern and Contemporary History
• Term: from 2017 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 320628980

The aim of the project is to publish an edition of the correspondence between Friedrich Althoff and Adolf Harnack (1886-1908), accompanied by an introduction, commentary, and index. At the present state of research the correspondence comprises 338 letters (245 by Harnack and 93 by Althoff) which have all been deciphered and transcribed in an electronic version. In his capacity as director of the first Department of Education Althoff was responsible for universities, libraries, museums, the preservation of historical monuments, and secondary education in Prussia. In turn, Harnack was one of the most influential academics and political scholars of Wilhelmine Germany. The correspondence, therefore, deals with central aspects of the history of science, education, universities, politics, and mentalities of that period. It is, therefore, a major source which can be used to investigate historical problems of various disciplines. The publication of this exchange is thus relevant not only for theologians interested in the history of their discipline, for historians of the modern period, or for social scientists focussing on the history of education and of the universities, but also for jurists, historians of administration, and ancient historians as well as gender studies. The correspondence, which covers almost a quarter of a century, allows an in-depth study of the expansion and diversification of German Higher Education in the second half of the nineteenth century. It shows in particular (1) that university administration was gradually professionalized and modernized due to the growing influence of Prussian bureaucracy on higher education; (2) that, as a result, the state control of the system of appointments of professors increased while the traditional autonomy of the universities in this area was increasingly disregarded; (3) that institutions for national and international academic cooperation were systematically expanded; (4) that certain academic disciplines were targeted for promotion; (5) that private funds were attracted for the sponsorship of research within and outside universities; (6) that, finally, Althoff had established an elaborate network of contacts which was typical of his working method.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Stefan Rebenich