Johann Michael Moscherosch

Translation – Knowledge – Narration

The project seeks to explore forms of interaction between translation, knowledge, and narration, taking as its example the work of Johann Michael Moscherosch (1601–1669). Moscherosch wrote during an important period in regard to both the history of narrative forms and the history of knowledge in the German-speaking lands. In the middle of the 17^th century, a modern concept of fictional storytelling developed in a meandering process, while at the same time the ideal of polyhistoric and encyclopaedic erudition reached a level of maximum differentiation. Moscherosch – paradigmatic for other writers of his time – participates in these two developments to a significant extent, since his translations of European pretexts were of crucial importance for this process. Taking these circumstances into account, the project aims to analyse Moscherosch’s practice of translating erudition, which is particularly evident in his French-German dictionary and in his various writings that aim at fostering his readers’ education and edification.

The project ‘Johann Michael Moscherosch: Translation – Knowledge – Narration’ is based at the University of Heidelberg and is led by Prof Dr Dirk Werle. Sofia Derer works on the project as a research associate and Kim Anh Schäfer as a student assistant.

Project website at the University Heidelberg.

Publications (project-related):

• Prof Dr Dirk Werle
• Sofia Derer