The purpose of this article is to make clear the following three points; 1) what was influential educational throught for the foundation of the Göttingen University Library? 2) how was the situation of other university libraries which played important role for that foundation? 3) how was the Göttingen University Library founded ?
The main part of this article is concerned with the first point above. “Polyhistrismus” might be the most influential educational thought for the foundation of the Göttingen University Library. Its advocate was D. G. Morhof (1639-91) who was professor for of rhetoric and a librarian at the Kiel University. His lectures and works under the title of “Polyhistor” gave great impetus to the polyhistoric thougt. Thereafter many works about the same theme followed.
The common characteristics of these polyhistoric works which changed the ideal of the German intellectuals are the followings: 1) to emphasize not the knowing, but “Erkenntnis (recognition)” or ‘“Judicium (judgment)” in order to systematize “the useful truth”, 2 ) to attach importance on not the memoria technica, but the managing way of information about scholarship, such as sammarizing, cataloging, selecting books etc., 3) the professional career of most writers being a professor of rethoric or poetics and a librarian.
Under these circumstances arose the great interest in the libraries among intellectuals and librarian in the secular libraries, such as the Court library etc. was spotlighted as a new intellectual profession. As one of the representatives who were grown under this trend of thought could be named Z. K. von Uffenbach (1683-1734). He regarded his time as “polyhistorische Zeit” which demand the erudition of the intellectuals rather than the originality, and through “die Gelehrten-Rise” made efforts to enrich his own library which made him famous.
In this period from the last half of 17 century to the first half of the 18 century were established the new lectures about libraries, history of literatures and the polymathy as an essential knowledge for the intellectuals and the librarians in the educatonal organizations, such as gymnasiums and universities.
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