Knowledge, Spaces, and Media Gotha Research Library

Reaching for Atlantis

In his project, the historian wants to investigate the history of objects that were the subject of a fundamental reinterpretation of material culture at the time of the Swedish Empire (1650-1720).

Duration
03/2018 - 02/2023

Funding
VolkswagenStiftung :
1 000 000 Euro

Project management

Dr. Bernhard Schirg

Project staff (Gotha Research Centre)

+49 361 737-1733

+49 361 737-1709

In his project, the historian wants to investigate the history of objects that were the subject of a fundamental reinterpretation of material culture at the time of the Swedish Empire (1650-1720). They served - reinterpreted accordingly - as evidence of Sweden's glorious early history. The starting point was the four-volume publication "Atlantica" (1679-1702) by the polymath Olof Rudbeck, who attributed not only Plato's Atlantis but also the origin of the entire classical tradition to the North. With the help of a digital platform and the integration of historical sources, Schirg wants to show how the archaeological and natural history objects were contextualized and interpreted at different times. Based on the Swedish history of science and collections, an inspiring example for the visualization of cultural biographies of objects will be created.