Alfred von Reumont (1808-1887): A Catholic diplomat in the service of Prussia and of German-Italian historiography

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This research project focuses onAlfred von Reumont (1808-1887): a Catholic diplomat in the service of Prussia and of Italo-German historiography. Von Reumont, a diplomat dabbling in History, was involved in the most relevant German-Italian research projects of the 19th century, at times as a go-between, at others as counsellor. Though both his contemporaries and current researchers have recognised his considerable influence, an analysis of his letters, available at the manuscript department of the university library in Bonn, is still a blank area in Italo-German research. This may come as a surprise to some, given the key role this correspondence might play to understanding 19th century historiography, which in turn produced editions of medieval sources, such as the Monumenta Germaniae Historica (MGH), which have remained relevant until today. Thanks to the conservation of the correspondence of von Reumont , the most significant among his correspondents in Florence, Rome and Turin have been identified. Examining their counterparts to his letters promises to reveal the egocentric network of this protagonist, disclosing the various forms and effects of the thus initiated cultural flows and transfers. Based on such an analysis, we strive to show structures and mechanisms of a historiography which at the time was redefining itself, and the political instrumentation of which gave rise to a jealous struggle for access to archives. We now hope, for the first time, to examine the actions of this agent, who partook in the decision of who was to write history, and who was not.