Arnold Esch (historian)

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Arnold Esch in 2020

Arnold Esch (born April 28, 1936 in Altenbögge / Unna district, Westphalia) is a German historian . He initially taught as a professor of medieval history at the University of Bern and was director of the German Historical Institute in Rome from 1988 to 2001 . Esch is recognized by numerous publications as one of the best experts on medieval and early modern Rome.

Life

Arnold Esch comes from a family of pastors and merchants from the Lower Rhine region. His father was the pastor Fritz Esch (1901–1983). He studied history, classical archeology and political science in Münster , Göttingen and Paris . In 1964 he was in Göttingen with Hermann Heimpel with the work Bonifaz IX. and the Papal States PhD. The preparation of the work required the first extensive archival work in Rome and first intensive contacts with the historical institute there. After receiving his doctorate, he worked as an assistant in Göttingen. From 1970 to 1973 he worked as an assistant at the DHI. After completing his habilitation in 1974 in Göttingen with the work on the relationship between town and country using the example of the Tuscan city of Lucca , he taught there for a year as a private lecturer and spent another year as a research assistant at the German Historical Institute. After a substitute chair in Berlin, he became professor of medieval history at the University of Bern in 1977. He held his inaugural lecture in Bern on the importance of the chance of transmission and the chance of transmission for historical knowledge. 1985/86 he was rector of Bern University. He gave his inaugural address to the Bern rectorate about the university in the Middle Ages .

From 1988 to 2001 he was director of the DHI in Rome. During his term in office, a conference with scientists from Germany, Italy and France took place in April 1991 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Ferdinand Gregorovius' death . Esch published the conference proceedings in 1993 with Jens Petersen . At the end of October 1994, the German Historical Institute in Rome organized a conference organized by Esch and Norbert Kamp on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of Frederick II. Esch dealt with Frederick's conscious reception of ancient art and assessed it as part of the imperial self-image and as a form of imperial self-expression. As director he promoted the major scientific work “Repertorium Poenitentiariae Germanicum”. This work, prepared by Ludwig Schmugge , contains the petitions from 1431 to 1513.

Esch is married to a doctorate in classics and has three sons. He and his wife Doris Esch Raupach have published several scientific articles together.

Research priorities

Esch did research mainly on Italian history in the 14th and 15th centuries. At this stage the papacy returned to Rome from Avignon and the Renaissance unfolded in Italy. But he has also made important contributions to historical methodology and theory. Esch has worked out the basic methodological problems of the chance and chance of transmission .

His studies on the use of spoilage and the Roman roads set new accents . Esch and his wife wandered through the five streets inherited from antiquity ( Via Appia , Via Cassia , Via Flaminia , Via Salaria , Via Valeria ). These personal experiences formed the basis for numerous individual publications and were published in a monograph in 1997. With the illustrated book, Esch wants to convey to the reader “the joy of following history in the open countryside”.

In 2016 Esch published a new illustration on Rome in the transition period from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. The presentation is the result of many years of intensive research into various sources in the archives, including the Roman customs registers from 1445 to 1485 or from notarial protocols that have so far hardly been evaluated. He was also able to refer to new documents, including those relating to the Roman university and from the Sforza envoys at the Curia. At the end of his presentation, instead of the usual epoch cut for Rome in 1494, Esch submitted a proposal for a new epoch boundary: "1496, the young Michelangelo enters Rome - because when he dies, Rome has become another, also through him."

In 2011 Esch published a description of “true stories from the Middle Ages”, which evaluates requests from clerics and lay people from Germany to the papal penitential office, the “ Penitenziaria Apostolica ”. For his second book published in 2014 on the petitions of the penitentiary, Esch evaluated around 2400 of around 97,000 supplics in the period from 1439 to 1484. He is not interested in "the history, competencies and working methods of this authority", but wants to draw a panorama of the everyday world of the 15th century.

In his inaugural lecture in Bern, he illustrated the factors on which the type and scope of the source transmission depend and what consequences this has for the historian's judgment. Using the document collection from Lucca as an example, he came to the conclusion that the documentary tradition favors property, but underrepresents trade and commerce. Documentary tradition makes the Middle Ages even more agrarian than it is already the case.

Honors and memberships

Esch has received numerous scientific honors and memberships for his research. Esch is 'Socio straniero' (external member) of the Accademia dei Lincei and since 1993 of the Accademia delle scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna . Esch became a member of the Accademia degli Intronati in Siena in 1989 . He is a corresponding member of the Central Management of the Monumenta Germaniae Historica (since 1989), a full member of the Historical Commission of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (since 1992), a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences in Göttingen , a corresponding member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (since 1999) , corresponding member of the Central Directorate of the German Archaeological Institute , member of the Braunschweig Scientific Society and other scientific institutions. He is a full member of the Pontificia Accademia Romana di Archeologia and the Istituto di Studi Romani.

Esch received 1970 for his Göttingen dissertation on Pope Boniface IX. and the Papal States the Prize of the Philological-Historical Class of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences. He was also awarded the Premio Città di Roma, targa d'oro of the Roman press in 1989, the Premio Daria Borghese from the Gruppo dei Romanisti in 1994 , the Premio Cultore di Roma in 1995, the Karl Vossler Prize for scientific prose in 1996, and the Bavarian Literature Prize in 1996 , 1996 the Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class , 1997 the Gauss Medal , 2004 the Premio Galileo Galilei, 2005 the Reuchlin Prize . In 2007 he was awarded the Lichtenberg Medal of the Göttingen Academy and in 2011 the Sigmund Freud Prize for scientific prose . He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Lecce and the University of Siena .

Fonts (selection)

Monographs

  • Boniface IX and the Papal States (= library of the German Historical Institute in Rome. Vol. 29). Niemeyer, Tübingen 1969 (= partly at the same time: Göttingen, University, dissertation, 1963–1964).
  • The beginnings of the university in the Middle Ages . Haupt, Bern 1985, ISBN 978-3-258-03558-1 .
  • Bern and Italy . Helbing and Lichtenhahn, Basel / Frankfurt am Main 1993, ISBN 978-3-7190-1284-7 .
  • Age and Age. The historian and the experience of the past present. Beck, Munich 1994, ISBN 978-3-406-38350-2 .
  • Roman roads in their landscape. The afterlife of ancient streets around Rome. With information on inspecting the site. Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 1997, ISBN 978-3-8053-2010-8 .
  • Roads to Rome. Ten century approximations. Beck, Munich 2003, ISBN 978-3-406-50275-0 .
  • Reusing antiquity in the Middle Ages. The archaeologist's point of view and the historian's point of view. De Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2005, ISBN 3-11-018426-5 .
  • Economia, cultura materiale ed arte nella Roma del primo Rinascimento. Roma nel Rinascimento, Rome 2007, ISBN 978-88-85913-47-9 .
  • Landscapes of the Early Renaissance. On an excursion with Pius II. Beck, Munich 2008, ISBN 3-406-57038-0 .
  • True stories from the Middle Ages. Little stories told in writing to the Pope. Beck, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-406-60133-0 .
  • Between antiquity and the Middle Ages. The decline of the Roman road system in central Italy and the Via Amerina. Beck, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-406-62143-7 .
  • The world of the European late Middle Ages. Little fates told in letters to the Pope. Beck, Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-406-66770-1 .
  • Rome. From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. 1378-1484. Beck, Munich 2016, ISBN 978-3-406-69884-2 .

Editorships

  • with Jens Petersen : History and History in the Culture of Italy and Germany. Scientific colloquium on the 100th anniversary of the German Historical Institute in Rome, 24. – 25. May 1988 (= library of the German Historical Institute in Rome. Vol. 71). Niemeyer, Tübingen 1989, ISBN 3-484-82071-3 .
  • with Reinhard Elze : The German Historical Institute in Rome 1888–1988 (= library of the German Historical Institute in Rome. Vol. 70). Niemeyer, Tübingen 1990, ISBN 3-484-82070-5 .
  • with Jens Petersen: Ferdinand Gregorovius and Italy. A critical appraisal (= library of the German Historical Institute in Rome. Vol. 78). Niemeyer, Tübingen 1993, ISBN 3-484-82078-0 .
  • with Norbert Kamp : Friedrich II. conference of the German Historical Institute in Rome in the commemorative year 1994 (= library of the German Historical Institute in Rome. Vol. 85). Niemeyer, Tübingen 1996, ISBN 3-484-82085-3 .
  • with Jens Petersen: German Ottocento. The German perception of Italy in the Risorgimento (= library of the German Historical Institute in Rome. Vol. 94). Niemeyer, Tübingen 2000, ISBN 3-484-82094-2 .

literature

  • Roberto Delle Donne, Andrea Zorzi: Bibliografia di Arnold Esch (1966–2002). In: Roberto Delle Donne, Andrea Zorzi (Ed.): Le storie e la memoria. In onore di Arnold Esch. Firenze University Press, Firenze 2002 (Reti Medievali), ISBN 88-8453-045-8 , pp. XXIII-XXVIII. ( Download of the whole volume or individual articles possible )
  • Lorenz Jäger: All roads lead to Rome. On the eightieth of the historian Arnold Esch. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , April 28, 2016, No. 99, p. 11.
  • Gustav Seibt : Learning to see in the dark. Laudation to Arnold Esch. In: Sense and Form . 1, 2012, pp. 132-136 (on the occasion of the award of the Sigmund Freud Prize for scientific prose by the German Academy for Language and Poetry)
  • Hagen Keller , Werner Paravicini , Wolfgang Schieder (eds.): Italia et Germania. Liber Amicorum Arnold Esch. Niemeyer, Tübingen 2001, ISBN 3-484-80157-3 .
  • Martin Wallraff: laudation Arnold Esch. In: Arnold Esch: Reuse of antiquity in the Middle Ages. The view of the archaeologist and the view of the historian (= Hans-Lietzmann-Vorlesungen. Vol. 7). De Gruyter, Berlin 2005, ISBN 3-11-018426-5 , pp. 1-9.

Web links

Remarks

  1. ^ Martin Wallraff: Laudation Arnold Esch. In: Arnold Esch: Reuse of antiquity in the Middle Ages. The archaeologist's point of view and the historian's point of view. Berlin 2005, ISBN 3-11-018426-5 , pp. 1–9, here: p. 5.
  2. ↑ See the reviews of Friedrich Merzbacher in: Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte, Canonical Department 57, 1971, pp. 376–378; Ricardo García-Villoslada in: Archivum Historiae Pontificiae 8, 1970, pp. 385-389; Walter Ullmann in: The Catholic Historical Review 57, 1971, pp. 494-496; William M. Bowsky in: Speculum 47, 1972, pp. 305-307; Hans Martin Schaller in: German Archive for Research into the Middle Ages 26, 1970, pp. 287–288 ( online ).
  3. ^ Martin Wallraff: Laudation Arnold Esch. In: Arnold Esch: Reuse of antiquity in the Middle Ages. The archaeologist's point of view and the historian's point of view. Berlin 2005, pp. 1–9, here: p. 4.
  4. ↑ Arnold Esch: Tradition chance and tradition chance as methodological problem of the historian. In: Historical magazine . 240, 1985, pp. 529-570, here: p. 536 ( online ).
  5. ↑ The inaugural address is published under the title Arnold Esch: The Beginnings of the University in the Middle Ages. Bern 1985.
  6. ↑ See the reviews of Franz J. Bauer in: Sources and research from Italian archives and libraries 74, 1994, pp. 697–698 ( online ), Karl-Egon Lönne in: Historische Zeitschrift 259, 1994, p. 717– 718.
  7. ↑ Theo Kölzer: The commemorative year of Frederick II - a review. In: German Archive for Research into the Middle Ages 54, 1998, pp. 141–161 ( online ).
  8. ^ Arnold Esch: Friedrich II. And the ancient world. In: Friedrich II. Conference of the German Historical Institute in Rome in the commemorative year 1994. In: Arnold Esch, Norbert Kamp (ed.): Friedrich II. Conference of the German Historical Institute in Rome in the commemorative year 1994. Tübingen 1996, pp. 201–226 .
  9. ^ Arnold and Doris Esch: The tombstone of Martin V and other imported items in the Roman customs registers of the early Renaissance. In: Römisches Jahrbuch für Kunstgeschichte 17, 1978, pp. 211–217; This: Beginnings and early history of the German Evangelical Congregation in Rome 1819–1870, in: Sources and research from Italian archives and libraries 75, 1995, pp. 366–426; This: Danes, Norwegians, Swedes in Rome 1819–1870 in the church book of the German Protestant community. In: Börje Magnusson, Stefania Renzetti, Sever J. Voicu (eds.): Ultra terminum vagari. Scritti in onore di Carl Nylander. Roma 1997, pp. 81-88; This: With Kaiser Friedrich III. in Rome. Prices, capacity and location of Roman hotels in 1468/69. In: Paul-Joachim Heinig et al. (Ed.): Empire, regions and Europe in the Middle Ages and modern times. Festschrift for Peter Moraw. Berlin 2000, pp. 443-457.
  10. ^ Arnold Esch: Spolien. For the reuse of antique building pieces and sculptures in medieval Italy. In: Archiv für Kulturgeschichte 51, 1969, pp. 1–64.
  11. ^ Arnold Esch: The Via Appia in the landscape. Notes on inspecting the area between Genzano and Cisterna. In: Ancient World. Journal for Archeology and Cultural History 19, 1988, pp. 15–29; Arnold Esch: The Via Cassia in the landscape. Afterlife of an ancient street, with instructions for inspecting the area between Sutri and Bolsena. In: Ancient World. Zeitschrift für Archäologie und Kulturgeschichte 21, 1990, pp. 134–158; Arnold Esch: The Via Flaminia in the landscape. Afterlife of an ancient road, with information on how to walk in the area between Soracte and Otricoli. In: Ancient World. Journal for Archeology and Cultural History 26, 1995, pp. 85–113.
  12. ^ Arnold Esch: Roman roads in their landscape. The afterlife of ancient streets around Rome. With information on inspecting the site. Mainz 1997. See the review by Alfred A. Strnad in: Innsbrucker Historische Studien 22, 2000, pp. 398–399.
  13. ^ Arnold Esch: Roman roads in their landscape. The afterlife of ancient streets around Rome. With information on inspecting the site. Mainz 1997, p. 2.
  14. ↑ See the reviews of Andreas Rehberg in: Historische Zeitschrift . 306 (2018), pp. 835-836; Guntram Koch in: Das Historisch-Politische Buch. 65, 2017, pp. 422-423; Ansgar Frenken in: H-Soz-Kult , March 8, 2017, ( online ); Andrea Sommerlechner in: Mitteilungen des Institut für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung 126, 2018, pp. 234–235 ( online ).
  15. ^ Arnold Esch: Rome. From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. 1378-1484. Munich 2016, p. 340.
  16. ↑ See the discussions by Wilfried Hartmann in: Historische Zeitschrift 293, 2011, pp. 188–189; Peter Dinzelbacher in: Speculum 86, 2011, p. 486 f .; Rudolf Schieffer in: German Archive for Research into the Middle Ages 66, 2010, pp. 287–288 ( online ); Hiram Kümper in: Journal of the Savigny Foundation for Legal History, German Department 128, 2011, pp. 596–597.
  17. ^ Arnold Esch: The world of the European late Middle Ages. Little fates told in letters to the Pope. Munich 2014, p. 9. Cf. the reviews of Manfred Eder in: Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique . 111, 2016, pp. 390-391; Frank Rexroth in: Historische Zeitschrift 303, 2016, pp. 211–213; Martina Hartmann in: German Archive for Research into the Middle Ages 72, 2016, pp. 661–662 ( online ); Tobias Weller in: Vierteljahrschrift für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte 102, 2015 p. 237 ( online ); František Šmahel in: Český časopis historický 113, 2015, pp. 165–169 ( online ); Herwig Weigl in: Mitteilungen des Institut für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung 123, 2015, pp. 568–569 ( online ); Heribert Müller in: Zeitschrift für Historische Forschung 43, 2016, pp. 79–81 ( online ); Michael Borgolte : Forgive us, we played football. For centuries, the confessions received by the papal penitential authority were protected by the secrecy of confession. Now Arnold Esch has composed an astonishing volume from them about individual fates in the late Middle Ages In: Frankfurter Allgemeine October 8, 2014.
  18. ^ Arnold Esch: The world of the European late Middle Ages. Little fates told in letters to the Pope. Munich 2014, p. 15.
  19. ↑ Arnold Esch: Tradition chance and tradition chance as methodological problem of the historian. In: Historical magazine. 240, 1985, pp. 529-570, here: p. 536 ( online ).
  20. ^ Winner of the Karl Vossler Prize , Bavarian State Ministry for Education and Culture, Science and Art
  21. ^ Norbert Kamp: Laudation on the award of the Carl Friedrich Gauß Medal to Professor Arnold Esch. In: 1997 yearbook of the Braunschweig Scientific Society. Göttingen 1998, pp. 177-181 ( online ).
  22. ^ Werner Lehfeldt: Laudation to Arnold Esch. In: Yearbook of the Academy of Sciences in Göttingen 2007, pp. 85–86 ( online )
personal data
SURNAME Esch, Arnold
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German historian and university professor
DATE OF BIRTH April 28, 1936
PLACE OF BIRTH Altenbögge