Späthumanismus und Konfessionspolitik

The correspondence of Georg Michael Lingelsheim (1557/8-1636) and the circle he corresponded with are analyzed here with reference to the current research discussion on late humanism. Around 1600 Lingelsheim was one of the central figures in the European scholarly republic and as a senior executive official in Heidelberg was prominently involved in the denominational conflicts of the age. On the basis of his correspondence, his role in Palatine politics and above all his status in the late humanist res publica litteraria are studied as an instance of a late humanist career in an age of confessional dispute. At the same time we gain an impression of the discussions taking place among scholars of the day and of the late humanist scholarly republic. The study also includes a catalogue of all the letters to and from Lingelsheim that have come down to us and an edition of two hitherto unknown occasional poems.