Working Group 4: Materialities

Objective:

The materiality of knowledge played a crucial role in shaping communication in early modern Europe. We explore the impact of print within its broader media environment, examining how printed materials coexisted with manuscripts and pictorial content from the 15th to the 18th century.

Our research focuses on:

• the link between handwritten and printed texts in regions with limited book markets,
• the manuscript-print relationship in “small literatures” (e.g., Slovenian, Czech, Croatian),
• manuscript circulation as translations or adaptations of censored books.
  

Beyond its cultural significance, the printed book must also be understood as an economic commodity. We investigate book trade networks and their influence on the circulation of ideas. Traditional book history has often centered on local publishing, but our research adopts a transregional perspective, analyzing long-distance trade beyond modern national borders. Furthermore, wholesale publishing and investments in long-distance book trade were key drivers of the early modern book business. By studying these networks, we uncover the role of Central European book markets as hubs for the exchange of texts and ideas, contributing to the formation of public spheres.

These findings provide a vital complement to traditional bibliographic catalogues, offering deeper insights into the movement of knowledge in early modern Europe. Its approach reveals the historical interconnections between economic and cultural spheres that later historiographies tend to separate.

Activities:

2026 | Organization of Summer YRI School together with WG 5

2027 | Organization of Spring Conference

2028 | Organization of Summer YRI School together with WG 3