Key research themes
1. How did wartime looting influence the acquisition and study of Islamic manuscripts in European Oriental studies?
This theme explores the significant role of war, particularly military conflicts between European powers and the Ottoman Empire, in shaping the physical collection of Islamic manuscripts—especially Qur'anic texts—in Europe. It investigates how looted materials, often taken as war booty ('Türkenbeute'), became foundational in European Orientalist scholarship, shaping both the availability of primary sources and scholarly approaches to Islamic studies in the early modern to nineteenth centuries.
2. What is the historical significance of early modern European Orientalist philology and manuscript collection practices exemplified by Thomas Erpenius and his legacy?
This theme addresses the development of philological Orientalism in early modern Europe, focusing on seminal figures like Thomas Erpenius who pioneered systematic collection, study, and translation of oriental manuscripts and texts. It highlights how such scholars laid the groundwork for academic Oriental studies by integrating a wide geographical scope—from the Middle East to Southeast Asia—through textual scholarship and manuscript acquisition practices, contributing to the conceptualization of the Orient as a linguistic and cultural whole.
3. How did institutional developments and academic networks in European universities shape the professionalization and dissemination of Oriental Studies?
This theme examines the history and institutionalization of Oriental studies across European academic centers from the early nineteenth century onward. It analyzes the roles of university positions, cross-national scholarly correspondence, and the impact of political and colonial contexts on the growth, specialization, and sometimes suppression of Orientalist disciplines, with case studies from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Hungary illustrating the varied trajectories and intellectual milieus influencing the field.