Edition of the Correspondence from Kaspar von Sternberg

1. Import of the project, problem/state of research. The total correspondence from and to the Bohemian scientist Kaspar Maria Count Sternberg (1761-1838) is formeng the basis of the presented project. Its import is the presentation of Sternberg`s versatile impact an the intellectual happenings of early 19th ` century beyond the borders of the Habsburg monarchy until the years before the March Revolution in 1848. In the archive of the Bohemian National Museum, in the Archive of National Literature Strahov and in the Bohemian Regional Archive (all in Prague) a scientific correspondence to Sternberg has been found comprising approx. 1300 letters. The majority of Sternbergs counterletters needs to be located in all Europe. In addition, there is a correspondence between Sternberg and several scientific associations as well as a correspondence concerning the organisation of the "Meetings of the Association of German Scientists and Medical Doctors", founded by Lorenz Oken and introduced into the Habsburg Monarchy by Sternberg. The rest of Sternberg`s correspondence can be divided up into his private correspondence, correspondence with officials and the correspondence an the edition of his scientific work. After Sternberg`s death his correspondence with Goethe (Bratranek, 1866; Sauer, 1902) and Lorenz Oken`s letters to Sternberg (Sauer, 1901)have been edited, yet all these editions have become outof-print. 2. Aim of the project. Ort a long-term basis this project is aiming at the scientifically commented online-edition of Sternberg`s total correspondence in letters and counter-letters. It will mainly inform an politics of science in the Habsburg monarchy and an Sternberg`s scientific and economical import in an advanced clerical and political position in Ratisbon (until 1810) and as a private scientist (from 1810) and president of the "Vaterländisches Museum in Böhmen" (18181838). The scientific correspondence alone can be estimated at a total of approx. 2000 letters. 3. Methods, time- and work schedule. Any ferst publications of letters need to be established. For clear presentation of text an comment the software "Folio Views", successfully applied for editions by the Brenner-archive at the university of Innsbruck, will be used. In the ferst year of the project Sternbergs private and official correspondence will be edited, in the second year his correspondence an the edition of his scientific work, and in the third year his total scientific correspondence. Letters of greater import will be additionally commented in professional journals.