The correspondence of the humanist scholar Nikodemus Frischlin (1547-1590) - Critical edition, summaries, commentary

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Whereas for the most part the correspondence of German reformers (e.g. Luther, Melanchthon, Bucer) and early German humanists (e.g., Reuchlin, Celtis, Pirckheimer) has already appeared in critical editions or is currently being edited, letters from the age of late humanism remain almost entirely unedited, the only notable exceptions being the early baroque writers Matthäus Rader SJ, and Martin Opitz. This neglect is surprising because research on late humanism has expanded tremendously in the past few decades, as can be seen in the publication of numerous monographs and special studies as well as in new editions of the oeuvres of some of the central authors. One of the most prominent figures of the time is the Swabian philologist, school reformer and poet Nikodemus Frischlin (1547-1590), whose diverse literary production comprises not only poetry, drama, orations and learned treatises, but also a substantial corpus of polemical pamphlets on educational and socio-political themes. In addition to these significant publications, an extensive correspondence survives, partly in Latin, partly in German, with relatives, colleagues, representatives of political and academic institutions, and members of the Württemberg dynasty. Of the nearly 450 letters written by and to Frischlin, only a few were published during his lifetime. Moreover, in modern times, the surviving corpus has never been published nor even described comprehensively. These letters are now being published in a critical text edition along with content summaries and extensive commentaries. The editors of the Frischlin correspondence are following the model of the recently published correspondences of the humanists Reuchlin, Melanchthon, and Pirckheimer. The commentaries for the letters explain individuals or places mentioned and historical background as well as linguistic or literary items, such as quotations from classical and contemporary literature or from the Bible. Moreover, the commentaries also mine important related archival sources, such as the records of the Tübingen University Senate, documents of the Stuttgart court, and pamphlets of Martin Crusius, Frischlin's most prominent adversary. This edition offers a critically important complement to the edition of Frischlin's works and also promises to expand knowledge of late humanism by making the ego-documents of a central historical figure available for the first time. Frischlin ranks among the most distinguished figures of this era due to the variety of his literary, academic, and cultural activities, as well as his clearly articulated, and often polemical, views on public affairs (especially on the role of aristocracy) and, not least, due to his prominent integration in the European republic of letters.