Philipp Jakob Spener as Genealogists

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Markus Friedrich
• Subject Area: Early Modern History
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 498054811

This project aims at studying the history of genealogy around 1700. It uses Philipp Jakob Spener - who was not only a founding father of Lutheran Pietism, but also one of the most important genealogists at the time - as a case study to investigate how genealogists worked and how they published. The project furthermore discusses how the 'worldy' topic of genealogy related to prominent theological concerns and criticisms, which originated not least from an increasingly in-depth study of Jewish genealogical practices. Finally, the project discusses how genealogical knowledge related to dynastic identities, highlighting the complex conflicts between scholarly and courtly approaches to genealogy.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants