Digitisation and Cataloguing of the Scholarly Correspondence of Karl Ernst von Baer (1792-1876) in the University Library Gießen

卡尔·恩斯特·冯·贝尔(Karl Ernst von Baer，1792-1876)是“19世纪自然科学史上的主要人物之一，其声望不亚于亚历山大·冯·洪堡”(奥斯特坎普，2015)。除了胚胎学、解剖学和形态学，他还在人类学、人种学、地理学和渔业方面做出了重大贡献。他的研究重点是胚胎学和形态学的理论问题，因此他在进化论及其发展的辩论中发挥了重要作用。由于贝尔在科学上的声誉以及他在各种文化和政治环境(爱沙尼亚、普鲁士和俄罗斯)的工作，他的遗产在科学史上具有特殊的兴趣。这一点尤其适用于科学通信。贝尔与全球1000多人交流了想法，主要是在欧洲，特别是德国和俄罗斯，但也在美国、日本和印度尼西亚。其中有许多他那个时代最重要的科学人物。贝尔的科学通信的最大部分(4400封信)连同手稿和他的大量印刷著作作为部分财产储存在大学图书馆吉森。自1999年以来，已有部分遗产的清单，但没有提供每个字母的元数据。在拟议的项目中，吉森部分遗产的整个科学通信将完全数字化，并可在网上查阅。在此过程中，所有信件的形式和内容都将在Kalliope数据库中编入索引。由于到目前为止，这些信件只是偶尔发表，因此已经可以通过这种方式获得贝尔在19世纪科学话语中关于进化论和其他话题的讨论中所扮演的角色的新迹象。此外，该项目打算转录和编辑精选的优秀信件(约100封)，并为信件的合作和科学索引奠定基础。在后来单独提出的项目中，所有信件都应进行转录和编辑，从而为信件的网络分析创造前提条件，特别是考虑到19世纪发展理论的历时发展和分化，这将带来新的见解。此外，还可以建立通信与设在吉森的部分遗产中提供的手稿、日记和草稿之间的联系。从长远来看，将位于圣彼得堡和塔尔图的遗产的其他部分，以及分散的、较小的通信部分整合在一起，将使人们能够全面、历史地重新评估卡尔·恩斯特·冯·贝尔的作用。

Karl Ernst von Baer (1792-1876) was "one of the dominant figures in the history of the natural sciences in the 19th century and as such of no lesser stature than Alexander von Humboldt" (Osterkamp, 2015). In addition to embryology, anatomy and morphology, he made significant contributions in anthropology, ethnography, geography and fishery. A particular focus of his research was directed towards theoretical questions of embryology and morphology and thereby he played an important role in the debate on the theory of evolution and its development.Due to Baer’s scientific reputation and his work in various cultural and political milieus (Estonia, Prussia and Russia), his estate is of extraordinary interest for the history of the sciences. This applies in particular to the scientific correspondence. Baer exchanged ideas with more than 1,000 persons all over the globe, primarily in Europe and particularly in Germany and Russia, but also in the USA, Japan and Indonesia. Among the correspondents are many of the most important scientific personalities of his time.The largest part of Baer’s scientific correspondence (4,400 letters) together with manuscripts and a large number of his printed writings is stored as partial estate in the University Library Giessen. An inventory of the partial estate is available since 1999 but it does not provide metadata for each individual letter.In the proposed project, the entire scientific correspondence of the Giessen partial estate is to be completely digitized and made accessible online. In the course of this, the form and content of all letters will be indexed in the Kalliope database. Since the letters have been published only occasionally so far, new indications of Baer’s role in the discussion about the theory of evolution and other topics from the scientific discourse of the 19th century can already be obtained in this way. In addition, the project intends to transcribe and edit a selection of outstanding letters (about 100) and to develop the basis for a cooperative, scientific indexing of the letters.In later, separately proposed projects, all letters should be transcribed and edited, thus creating the preconditions for a network analysis of the correspondence, which promises new insights especially in view of the diachronic development and differentiation of developmental theories in the 19th century. In addition, links between the correspondence and the manuscripts, diaries and drafts available in the Giessen-based partial estate can also be established. Perspectively, the integration of other parts of the estate, located in St. Petersburg and Tartu, as well as scattered, smaller correspondence parts would enable a comprehensive, historical reappraisal of the role of Karl Ernst von Baer.