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（1792-1876）是“19世纪自然科学史上的主要人物之一，其地位不亚于亚历山大·冯·洪堡”（Osterkamp, 2015）。除了胚胎学、解剖学和形态学外，他在人类学、民族志、地理学和渔业方面也有重大贡献。他的研究重点是胚胎学和形态学的理论问题，因此他在关于进化论及其发展的辩论中发挥了重要作用。由于贝尔的科学声誉和他在不同文化和政治环境（爱沙尼亚，普鲁士和俄罗斯）的工作，他的遗产对科学史非常感兴趣。这尤其适用于科学通信。贝尔在全球范围内与超过1000人交流意见，主要是在欧洲，特别是在德国和俄罗斯，但也在美国，日本和印度尼西亚。在这些通讯员中，有许多是他那个时代最重要的科学人物。贝尔的大部分科学通信（4400封信）以及手稿和大量印刷作品作为部分财产存放在吉森大学图书馆。自1999年以来，部分遗产的清单是可用的，但它不提供每封信的元数据。在拟议的项目中，吉森部分庄园的所有科学通信将完全数字化，并在网上提供。在此过程中，所有信件的形式和内容将在Kalliope数据库中被索引。由于这些信件到目前为止只是偶尔发表，因此可以通过这种方式获得贝尔在19世纪科学论述中关于进化论和其他主题的讨论中所起作用的新迹象。此外，该项目打算抄录和编辑一些杰出的信件（约100封），并为这些信件的合作性科学索引奠定基础。在后来单独提出的项目中，所有信件都应该被转录和编辑，从而为通信的网络分析创造先决条件，特别是考虑到19世纪发展理论的历时性发展和分化，这将带来新的见解。此外，还可以建立通信与吉森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，位于圣彼得堡和塔尔图的庄园的其他部分，以及分散的，较小的通信部分的整合，将使卡尔恩斯特冯贝尔的作用进行全面的，历史性的重新评估。

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.