Das Werk des Varenius: Eine kritische Gesamtbibliographie

Abstract

Since Humboldt in his Kosmos pointed out the significance of the Geographia Generalis for the development of scientific geography, its author Varenius has become known to be the founder of modern geographical thought. In the course of the 19th century, the life and work dates of Varenius were discovered, so that Gunther in 1905 was enabled to summarize them to a first biography with an extensive bibliographical part, with emphasis on the General Geography. But this delineation, though full of details, is yet of limited reliability, and it will render sufficient -information neither on the correspondence nor the printed writings, or literary projects of Varenius. Nevertheless, since Gunther, these questions have been unsettled till now because of lack of further sufficient in formation. This present critical survey, however, is engaged in authenticating the frame and extent of Varenius' writings as definitely and exactly as possible, and is bound, too, to complete the number of previously published editions of the works. The study is based on comprehensive bibiographical in quiries, which were supported by many references to the leading international libraries. As a result, many corrections to Günther's work will have to be made. Clarity will now be obtained especially about the following writings: 1. The register of Varenius' correspondence (lasting from 1643 till 1648) has been completed and arranged first in order of dates, and terms both of incipit and explicit of existing texts. 2. As to the academic writings, Günther cites only the Hamburg matural disputation On the definition of Motion according to Aristotle (1642), and the lost disputation On Conic Sections (Amsterdam 1648). Stimulated by a note of Rohrbach's, the title and dedication of the medical doctoral dissertation On Fever in General (Leiden 1649) were discussed in particular. 3. Of Varenius' Description of the Empire of Japan, four full editions in Latin and one German partial translation, most of them unknown till now, are in existence (1649?1673), titles are given. 4. The Tables of Universal History, mentioned by Ratzel, but omitted by Günther, were traced as existing at one time, by the Preface text of the Description of the Empire of Japan. 5. The Treatise on the Religion of the Japanese was published, too, in four full editions in Latin, contemporary with those of the Description. But in addition, its general part, the Brief Information on the Religions of the World was included in Ross's once famous comparative history of religions. This work, entitled Pansebeia, was published between 1653 and 1780 in a total of 24 editions in four European languages. Here Varenius' Brief Information formed an appendix. AL1 of these reprints were unknown till now, but they were certainly of literary influence in their time, as will be supposed. 6. The General Geography of Varenius, first published in Amsterdam in 1650, gained the interest of New ton as well as of Bentley and Czar Peter I. This leading work was published in 15 complete and four partial editions in five European languages, comprising two in Russian. Furthermore there were 10 rewritings in French, finally even an extractive version in Japanese in 1932. As many of these editions were unknown till now, Günther, of course, was not able to judge the extent of its real influence in any way. On the other hand, many editions quoted especially in several encyclopedias do not even exist. 7. Of four schemes on Human Ecology announced in the Dedicatorial Letter of the General Geography, there will only be found three in Günther, and even these are inexactly cited. These dates, too, are now corrected. 8. The last plan of Varenius' to be quoted will definitely correct the picture of the scientific personality of the author as the typical generic geographer. The first chapter of the General Geography gives full information of the detailed programme of a Special Geography to be writ ten in addition to the representation of the general part of geography. The important methodological consequences of this fact are discussed briefly. A complete list of all the scientific writings of Varenius and their respective editions will be attached to the German summary of this study.