Jean Paul: Digital edition of the complete correspondence - Integration of the fourth section - Letters to Jean Paul

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Markus Bernauer
• Subject Area: German Literary and Cultural Studies (Modern German Literature)
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 537078797

The primary objective of this project is to facilitate comprehensive access to Jean Paul's correspondence by incorporating the letters to Jean Paul into the existing digital edition platform. As such, the proposed project seeks to create a holistic digital edition of Jean Paul's letters, encompassing both the letters written by and addressed to Jean Paul, as well as those exchanged within his social circle. This edition will serve as a valuable and versatile research tool for scholars engaged in literary studies, historical investigations, linguistics, and cultural analyses. Over the past three decades, the Jean Paul Edition of the BBAW has made significant contributions to the understanding of the letter culture around 1800 through the completion of two projects and an ongoing innovative edition, nearing successful completion. Initially, the letters addressed to Jean Paul were published as a traditional print edition (1992/4-2017), followed by the digitization of Eduard Berend's classic edition (1952-1964) of Jean Paul's letters in 2017/18. This marked the initial steps towards establishing a platform for Jean Paul's correspondence. Subsequently, the project proceeded with the creation of a born-digital edition containing around 2000 letters from Jean Paul's family, close acquaintances, and more distant connections social circle. Notwithstanding these achievements, an indispensable component yet missing on the platform is the collection of letters addressed to Jean Paul. These letters are of utmost importance in bridging significant gaps in the epistolary exchanges of the individuals involved, notably the correspondence from his wife and children to Jean Paul himself are missing. Consequently, the planned digitization process must meticulously adhere to the format of Jean Paul's letters. Retro-digitization into mere PDF versions will not suffice; rather, innovative methods must be employed to digitally explore and present the letters addressed to Jean Paul, similar to the approach used for letters authored by him. The preservation and adaptation of the existing structure, organized into volumes and pages, are crucial elements in crafting an edition that elevates the centrality of these letters. This includes the incorporation of various apparatuses, particularly explanatory layers (e.g., introductory comments), to enhance the scholarly value of the edition. Certain aspects of this undertaking can be accomplished through sophisticated computer-assisted conversions and data enhancements, aligned with contemporary standards in digital humanities and research data management. However, other aspects will necessitate manual effort. Even in the case of computer-assisted conversions, extensive manual reworking, such as the careful editing of references (e.g., registers), will be indispensable due to the substantial volume of the original printed material (approximately 9,000 pages).

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Norbert Miller; Dr. Frederike Neuber