The Lichtenberg- Kolleg is the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Göttingen. It was founded by the University to strengthen the potentials of the humanities and social sciences, to promote thematic fields and, together with internationally renowned scholars, expand and develop research foci.

The Lichtenberg-Kolleg’s research profile is built on a set of main themes, or “umbrellas”. Currently, three research foci that represent strong interests of the Göttingen faculties are taken up by the Kolleg. First, the interdisciplinary study of the Göttingen and European Enlightenment(s) within its wider Atlantic and Global Contexts will become a flagship of the Kolleg, named after one of the key figures of the Enlightenment, Lichtenberg. Göttingen is not only associated with the Enlightenment's German manifestations, but also with the Enlightenment of other European and Atlantic regions and countries. The second research umbrella named Bridges refers to its telos, namely to build bridges between the natural and human sciences. Göttingen University with its great strengths in the natural sciences and its rich traditions in the humanities and social sciences seems like an apt place for the reflection and reconstruction of the dialogue between natural and human sciences. Thirdly, Religion and Modernity will remain a strong research focus of the Kolleg. The study of religion is rich and widespread amongst the Göttingen research campus. Given that empirical research is a distinct strength in this area, the Kolleg will seek to complement current research efforts and focus on conceptual and normative issues.

The workshop was initiated in the context of Enlightenment studies in Göttingen and will explore the relationship between British and German textual cultures in the eighteenth century, with particular emphasis on the role of Göttingen as a nexus for the transmission, translation, and adaptation of Anglophone texts in the period. Beginning with the assumption that the role of the book trade and the periodical press was the principal means by which ideas and values were transmitted over geographical distance throughout the eighteenth century, the focus of the workshop will be on the way in which the transmission of these cultural products operated between different constituencies. And yet, transmission is only part of the story. While some elements of Anglophone culture travelled well between intellectual centres, others underwent radical redefinition through agencies such as reception, citation, and translation.

The aim of the workshop is to examine the role of print and other forms of material culture in the creation of a ‘Republic of Letters’ in a period crucial for the history of ideas, and to open up new questions and perspectives relating to cultural mobility and on the development of intellectual and literary practices in the eighteenth century. While the emphasis will not be exclusively on Göttingen’s relations with Anglophone culture, one of the key elements for analysis will be to account for the strategic importance of Göttingen’s place in the reception, reproduction, and transformation of eighteenth-century British culture.

Participation is only possible after registration. If you are interested in particpating please send an e-Mail to lichtenbergkolleg@zvw.uni-goettingen.de by 24th November 2013.