Diarium Europaeum

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Diarium Europaeum (daily European history story) is the title of a German-language historical work founded by Martin Meyer (Philemerus Irenicus Elisius) and published in 45 volumes between 1659 and 1683 . The series of chronicles is of particular importance due to the timely and comprehensive presentation of important events in European politics. Subject registers are attached to the individual volumes.

editor

Little is known about the founder of the series, Martin Meyer. According to his own statements, he came from Haynau in Silesia . In the dedication of his work Ortelius redivivus et continuatus , he states that he attended the city ​​school in Liegnitz led by M. Theophilus Pitiscus. Based on this information, it can be assumed that Meyer was born around 1630. He was active in Frankfurt am Main from 1660 at the latest , because the second volume of the Diarium Europaeum , which was published at that time, first mentions the Frankfurt publishing house Ammon and Serlin . As far as is known, Meyer held no public office, he referred to himself as philologiae et historiae studiosus . He may have died in 1669/70 because the twentieth volume of the diarium no longer appeared under his pseudonym. Meyer wrote other contemporary historical writings, including volumes 8, 9 and 10 of the similar and splendidly furnished series Theatrum Europaeum by the two engravers Matthäus Merian the Younger and Caspar Merian , which appeared between 1667 and 1677 .

Publication history

The first volume, which covers the years 1657 and 1658, appeared in 1659. From volume 20 onwards, Philemerus Irenicus Elisius is no longer the author; therefore it is assumed that he died around 1669/70 and the series was continued by a new editor. From volume 30, which covers the years 1672 and 1673, the events are no longer presented chronologically, but sorted by subject area. The last volume 45 appeared in 1683 for the reporting year 1681. The owners of the series were initially the Frankfurt publishers Wilhelm Serlin and Johann Wilhelm Ammon , from volume 30 the widow Serlin.

meaning

The importance of the series lies in the portrayal of European political events. She likes to report extensively on wars, treaties and alliances, sieges, campaigns and battles, but births, marriages and deaths of the dynasts, conflagrations and executions are also reported, one or the other miracle story is rarely found. In addition to the Holy Roman Empire, there are reports on France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Scandinavia, Spain, Poland, Russia and Turkey. The last volume contains William Penn's call for settlement in Pennsylvania . Occasionally the events are explained and illustrated with drawings and copperplate engravings .

However, the series is not free from errors, mainly due to confusion of names and locations.

literature

  • Josef Köstlbauer: Source autopsy Martin Meyer (1659) . In: European terms and concepts of Europe in the 17th century. Web project, Wolfgang Schmale (director). On-line

Web links