Joseph von Laßberg: A Life of Collection
Joseph Maria Christoph Freiherr von Laßberg (1770-1855) was a German scholar, bibliophile, and antiquarian who played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of the early 19th century. Born into a noble family long in service to the House of Fürstenberg (Wieser 1955), Laßberg pursued a successful career as a forest official and privy councilor, rising to the rank of Landesoberforstmeister (Schupp 1982). In the wake of the Napoleonic Wars and the political restructuring that followed, many members of the mediatised nobility sought new purpose in the preservation of cultural heritage (Hakelberg 2021). Laßberg co-founded the aristocratic society "Die Kette" (The Chain), which aimed to affirm the nobility's role through the study of medieval culture (Schupp 2004, Hakelberg 2021). This context explains Laßberg's deep interest in medieval literature. He dedicated his resources to amassing a private library of over 10,000 prints and some 263 manuscripts (Schupp 1982, Gantert 2010), including his most famous acquisition, the Nibelungenlied Manuscript C, which he purchased with the help of Princess Elisabeth zu Fürstenberg during the Congress of Vienna (Obhof 2001, Johne 1955).
Laßberg's scholarly pursuits focused primarily on German medieval literature, and his efforts to preserve and share these works had a long-lasting impact. His main editorial achievement, the Liedersaal (Bothien 2001, Schupp 1982), made a vast collection of Middle High German poetry accessible to his contemporaries. By opening his library at his estates in Eppishausen (Schupp 2001) and later Meersburg Castle (Kastner 1955), he became an indispensable facilitator for the emerging field of German Studies (Glunk 1955). His extensive correspondence reveals a vast network of scholars, including Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (Schupp 1978), Ludwig Uhland (Pfeiffer 1870), Friedrich Heinrich von der Hagen (Grunewald 1981), and Swiss historians like Johann Adam Pupikofer (Wepfer 2001) and Ildefons von Arx (Studer 1955). His letters offer rare insight into the dynamic intellectual community that shaped German Romanticism and the resurgence of interest in the nation's medieval past.
Project Goals
Making the Laßberg Correspondence accessible by digital methods.
Collect and Aggregate
To digitally collect and present the full text of Laßberg's letters, using the comprehensive register compiled by Martin Harris as a foundational guide.
Digitize and Transcribe
Carried out as part of the project „Die Schweiz und ihr ‘Mittelalter’“ at the University of Bern, making the correspondence accessible for the first time.
Analyze and Visualize
To systematically analyze the letters as a complete epistemic and social network, uncovering new connections and exploring underappreciated roles within the scholarly circle.
Current Status and Disclaimer
While Laßberg's life and work have been the subject of extensive research, a complete picture of his intellectual world remains to be drawn. Past scholarship has illuminated his role as a collector and his relationships with other famous figures. However, the sheer scale of his correspondence, scattered across numerous archives, has prevented a comprehensive analysis of his network. This project employs digital methods to overcome these limitations. By systematically analyzing his letters as a complete epistemic and social network, we aim to uncover the full dynamics of his influence, explore the underappreciated role of women in his scholarly circle—such as his wife Jenny von Droste-Hülshoff (Schoof 1961) and his lifelong confidante Princess Elisabeth zu Fürstenberg (Siefert 2022)—and map the key intellectual hubs of his time, revealing new insights into the cultural history of the 19th century.
Please Note: This website is currently in a beta stage. It is intended to provide early access to the transcribed letters as they become available. As this is not a final scholarly edition, the content may contain errors and is subject to significant changes. We therefore advise users to cite with caution.