The correspondence of the German Empress Augusta. Role, self-conception, political scope of action.

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Christian Jansen
• Subject Area: Modern and Contemporary History
• Term: from 2017 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 377576265

Letters serve as a rich source material for the research on nineteenth century political communication. However, it is primarily the correspondence of "great men" that has been in the centre of interest. The research project wants to explore the female perspective on the world of politics and the potential scope of action between the poles of diplomacy, representation and daily politics based on the correspondence of the German Empress Augusta (1811-1890). As "First Lady" Augusta was at the centre of political power. Due to her often oppositional stance to government policies, Augusta's letters provide multifaceted and innovative insight into nineteenth century political communication. Roughly 3,000 letters of her correspondence with the great political and intellectual minds of her day have survived. Using quantitative (historical network research) as well as qualitative methods (semantic, hermeneutic, biographical and prosopographic approaches), detailed information can be gathered on sender and receiver circles as well as on topics addressed in the letters. The analysis of who, with whom, when and on what communicated allows for conclusions about political mechanisms and strategies, flows of information, processes of opinion forming and individual functions within this network. By drawing on Augusta's unique perspective as a women with longstanding and sometimes oppositional connections to the government the research project will generate new impulses for examining political and social developments and changes during the nineteenth century, for instance the revolution of 1848/49, the Wars of German Unification, the kulturkampf (culture struggle) and the Anti-Socialist Laws. Also, Augusta as a person comes to the fore. The project will investigate aspects hitherto ignored such as the function, self-conception and political scope of action of a crown princess, queen and empress.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants