Philology in Europe before and after 1800

Philology in Europe before and after 1800 investigates a period often regarded as a watershed moment in the history of the humanities. Since the nineteenth century, the decades around 1800 have been considered a time of radical change, introducing a new, modern era of scholarship distinct from the one preceding it. By probing and challenging this narrative of breakage, the volume explores continuities and transformations in philological practices during this pivotal time, providing a distinctly wide-ranging perspective on the evolution of philology.

Setting a long chronological horizon, the volume brings together two ages in the history of philology usually treated apart, the early and late modern periods. It also takes a transnational approach, following philological practice across countries, in Europe and beyond. So, too, it crosses (today’s) disciplinary boundaries, including biblical studies and classics as well as Arabic, Sanskrit, and Chinese philologies. Revolving around four themes – debates, instruments, communication, and collaborations – the chapters treat a broad range of topics, not only focusing on the successes but also the failures of philologists and the material conditions underlying their work. Overall, the book expands our understanding of the practices, ambitions, and legacies of philology across the supposed watershed of 1800.

It will be of interest to scholars of philology and cultural history and to those concerned with interdisciplinary approaches to the humanities.

Laura Loporcaro is a postdoctoral fellow at Ghent University. She works on classical Latin literature and on the history of philology between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, focusing particularly on the figure of Friedrich August Wolf (1759–1824). She is the author of Reading Quintilian. Didactic Authority in Quintilian’s Institutio oratoria (2025).

Paul Michael Kurtz is an associate research professor in history at Ghent University, Belgium. A cultural, religious, and intellectual historian, he concentrates on the formation and circulation of knowledge about the ancient world both in and between Europe, the Middle East, and India from 1750 to 1950. His recent publications include Boschwitz on Wellhausen: The Life, Work, and Letters of a Jewish Scholar in Nazi Germany (2024).