The Eschatological Tracts "De semine scripturarum" and "De principe mundi" of the Anonymus Bambergensis: Investigation of Their Transmission and Reception, Examination of Their Position in the History of Ideas and Critical Edition

• Applicant: Dr. Matthias Kaup
• Subject Area: Medieval History
• Term: from 2018 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 405362078

The project is concerned with the critical study of the tradition, the classification in terms of the history of ideas and the critical edition of the works of Anonymus Bambergensis, "probably the most original and effective German contribution to the epochal new developments of high and late medieval theology of history" (A. Patschovsky). These are the tracts De semine scripturarum, the "Scripture Seed Book" (60 pages of DIN-A pure text, besides long version of the author six revisions known), De principe mundi, the "World Prince Book" (20 DIN-A pages of text, one version), and the sketch De scala salutaris, the "Healing Stairs Sketch" (1 DIN-A-4 page of text, one manuscript).De semine scripturarum is a unique attempt to calculate the Second Coming of Christ and thus the end of the world on the basis of the alphabet, whose letters have each been assigned to a century since the founding of Rome, as well as to establish a salvation-historical valuation of its century, depending on the character of each letter. De principe mundi offers the likewise unique approach to fathom the role of Satan in salvation history since the passion of Christ mainly by allegorical interpretation of the Actus Silvestri and computistic speculations in the wake of De semine scripturarum. The author's depictions of the present, marked by the Hohenstaufen-Welfish throne dispute and reform-oriented apocalypticism, are of time critical importance.The first tract, which has survived in 20 manuscripts and seven versions, has remained largely unexplored; the second tract, which has survived in five manuscripts and one version, and the sketch, which has survived in only one manuscript, are virtually unknown. The project promises high scientific yield from the originality of the writings as well as from their importance for the research of historicotheological concepts of the Middle Ages.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants