Ophthalmoscope (Reuchlin)
The ophthalmoscope was a pamphlet, written in 1511 by Johannes Reuchlin , who took a position in the Jewish book dispute against the intention to burn writings in Hebrew . Reuchlin himself was then accused of being a heretic and his writings, especially the ophthalmoscope, were banned by Pope Leo X in 1520 .
background
Reuchlin wrote and published his ophthalmoscope in German. It was printed by Thomas Anshelm in Tübingen in the autumn of 1511 and appeared immediately afterwards at the Frankfurt autumn book fair . The ophthalmoscope is the answer to an attack by Johannes Pfefferkorn , who attacked Reuchlin in his hand mirror in German. A public dispute began over the newly established printing press, which can be described as the first media event of modern times. Pfefferkorn, with the spiritual power in the form of the Cologne Dominican Order behind him, called for the books of the Jews to be burned with the exception of the biblical books (Old Testament). Reuchlin wrote an opinion that was directed against the burning ( don't burn what you don't know! ). Reuchlin's report, like his ophthalmoscope, was rightly understood as an anti-institutional plea . From the perspective of the philologically competent humanist , he attacked the institutionally established position of university theologians, guardians of right faith and thus of permissible knowledge. The Pope takes the position of theologian for him, the second position belongs to him and his kind, the humanistically educated. As early as 1513, the Dominican prior and inquisitor Jakob Hoogstraeten from Cologne tried to brand the ophthalmoscope as heretical , which he could not do completely without the backing of the curia . Nevertheless, he had the ophthalmoscope burned in public, which cost him his offices and brought him plenty of ridicule. Reuchlin won the lawsuit against the Inquisitor, but lost all of his fortune due to the costs and was then condemned by the Roman Curia in 1520.
content
The main part of the printed book is Reuchlin's report for the Kaiser, which was written in German. Maximilian I previously allowed Pfefferkorn to confiscate Jewish writings and commissioned Reuchlin to provide an expert opinion on whether the confiscation of Jewish books was legal. In his expert opinion (advice), Reuchlin made it clear that Jewish literature as a whole cannot be denied or affirmed, but must first be perceived in its diversity. He divides the Jewish scriptures into seven types: 1. the holy scriptures of the Jews, their Bible ( Old Testament ); 2. the Talmud ; 3. the Kabbalah ; 4. Glosses and Commentaries on the Biblical Scriptures ( Perush ); 5. Speeches, disputations, sermon books ( midrash ); 6. Writings of the Jewish philosophers and scholars of all sciences ( Sepharim ); 7. Poetry, fables, poems, fairy tales, satires, collection of teaching examples (poetry). After dividing Jewish literature into genres, he accuses the other side of ignorance and prejudice as the basis for condemning Jewish writings because they did not speak the language. In conclusion, he describes the way to come to an understanding by expanding the knowledge of Hebrew and studying Jewish literature.
reception
The publication in German has contributed to the fact that the reception of the ophthalmoscope was not limited to those circles that were able to speak Latin. As a result of the report and various counter-reports, a long and bitter polemic war developed between supporters of Reuchlin and supporters of Pfefferkorn and the position of the Dominicans.
The play Burning Words by Peter Wortsman is dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the eye mirror in 2011 to the Reuchlin affair . University of Illinois
curators Valerie Hotchkiss and David Price organized an exhibition to commemorate Reuchlin's defense of Jewish writings. The exhibition is supported by international cooperation between American libraries and German institutions. It is intended to honor the man who stood up for tolerance, respect for people and books and for the power of knowledge. Prejudices should be questioned using Reuchlin's example and an understanding of cultural differences should be promoted.
During the book dispute , Reuchlin maintained a lively correspondence with the humanist Willibald Pirckheimer . Most of the letters date from 1518–1520 and provide information about Reuchlin's exile at the Bavarian University of Ingolstadt .
literature
- Markus Rafael Ackermann, The Jurist Johannes Reuchlin (1455–1522), Berlin 1999
- Ludwig Geiger, Johann Reuchlin. His life and works, Leipzig 1871 (reprint from Bibliolife, Charleston 2010)
- Hans Peterse, Jacobus Hoogstraeten versus Johannes Reuchlin. A contribution to the history of anti-Judaism in the 16th century, Mainz 1995
- Johannes Reuchlin, Germany's first humanist. A biographical reading book by Hans-Rüdiger Schwab, Munich 1989
- Johannes Reuchlin, Correspondence, edited by Matthias Dall'Asta and Gerald Dörner (Volume I with the assistance of Stefan Rhein), Stuttgart - Bad Cannstatt 1999ff, Volume I 1477–1505 1999, Volume II 1506–1513 2003, Volume III 1514–1517 2007
- The world in the eye mirror. Johannes Reuchlin and his time. Edited by Daniela Hacke and Bernd Roeck, Stuttgart 2002
Web links
- Peter Wortsman: Don't burn what you don't know! , Portrait of Johannes Reuchlin on zeit.de, January 12, 2011
- Wolfgang Knellessen: Life of Johannes Reuchlin , on website Leonhardskirche in Stuttgart
- Ophthalmoscope: "Doctor Johannsen Reuchlins of the KM as Ertzhert from Austria also electoral princes and princes common federation funnels in Swabia warranted apology against and against a baptized Jew called Pfefferkorn, formerly printed out unwar- niously disgraceful bookline - ophthalmic mirror - ¶ At the end of this correct there is a book inside the truck are provided in german and latin, denoted by the number of letters "
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dr. Hans-Peter Willi: Reuchlin in the dispute over the books of the Jews
- ↑ Kirsten Serup-Bilfeldt: Judenbücherstreit - "Don't burn what you don't know ..." Deutschlandfunk , January 18, 2017, accessed on March 17, 2017 .
- ↑ Jan-Hendryk de Boer: Review of: Posset, Franz: Johann Reuchlin (1455-1522). A Theological Biography. Berlin u. a. 2015, in: H-Soz-Kult, March 16, 2016
- ↑ The Reuchlin Correspondence - Mirror of the Struggle between Inquisition and Humanism. Heidelberg Academy of Sciences
- ^ Valerie Hotchkiss and David Price: Johannes Reuchlin and the dispute over the Jewish books. University of Illinois, 2012, accessed March 24, 2017 .
- ↑ The Pirckheimer Jahrbuch 28 (2014) explores the environment of the learned patrician from Nuremberg on the basis of his correspondence, which has been newly edited in seven volumes. Verlag LiteraturWwissenschaft.de, 2016, accessed on January 31, 2019 .