Wreaths of Time: Perceiving the Year in Early Modern Germany (1475-1650)
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Wreaths of Time: Perceiving the Year in Early Modern Germany (1475-1650) Nicole Marie Lyon October 12, 2015 Previous Degrees: Master of Arts Degree to be conferred: PhD University of Cincinnati Department of History Dr. Sigrun Haude ii DISSERTATION ABSTRACT “Wreaths of Time” broadly explores perceptions of the year’s time in Germany during the long sixteenth century (approx. 1475-1650), an era that experienced unprecedented change with regards to the way the year was measured, reckoned and understood. Many of these changes involved the transformation of older, medieval temporal norms and habits. The Gregorian calendar reforms which began in 1582 were a prime example of the changing practices and attitudes towards the year’s time, yet this event was preceded by numerous other shifts. The gradual turn towards astronomically-based divisions between the four seasons, for example, and the use of 1 January as the civil new year affected depictions and observations of the year throughout the sixteenth century. Relying on a variety of printed cultural historical sources— especially sermons, calendars, almanacs and treatises—“Wreaths of Time” maps out the historical development and legacy of the year as a perceived temporal concept during this period. In doing so, the project bears witness to the entangled nature of human time perception in general, and early modern perceptions of the year specifically. During this period, the year was commonly perceived through three main modes: the year of the civil calendar, the year of the Church, and the year of nature, with its astronomical, agricultural and astrological cycles. As distinct as these modes were, however, they were often discussed in richly corresponding ways by early modern authors. Rather than extricating these strands of understanding, each chapter engages a site of entanglement or tension between multiple notions of the year’s time, drawing attention to the rich conceptual syntheses that characterized temporal understandings of the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century world. The picture that emerges sheds light on an era during which the year changed and solidified as a temporal concept. While, to some degree, the year’s time gave way to greater uniformity during the sixteenth century, this process was highly nuanced and marked by the hallmarks of early modern German mentality, imbued with Lutheran apocalypticism and humoral astrology, among other things. Moreover, time and the perception thereof were strongly tied to spiritual paradigms that viewed the year and its temporality as created and sustained by God. The various religious and calendrical reforms of the sixteenth century did little to dissuade this spiritualization of time perception. More often than not, they prompted new ways of envisioning time’s sacredness, and as such led not to the desacralization but rather the resacralization of the year’s time. iii Blank page or copyright notice iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Intellectual endeavors have a way of intersecting with real life in enriching and unforeseen ways. I could not have predicted how many new “calendars” my own life would adopt over the course of completing this project. Researching in Germany, relocating to Canada, marrying into a Greek family, and continuing on as a graduate student are all changes that have enriched my life with new interplays of yearly time, most of which I’m still adjusting to More than abstract coordinate systems, these calendars represent collections of people who have given their time, effort and expertise, for whom I am deeply grateful. The Academic Calendar. I would first like to thank the stateside academic mentors, colleagues and institutions who have supported this project. My first foray into all things early modern began with the courses of Dr. Richard Schade in the Department of German Studies at UC, from whose expertise, intellectual passion and wisdom I continue to benefit—as a scholar and as a human being. Since beginning my PhD studies, the UC History Department has always been a formative, supportive environment that genuinely seeks to instill curiosity and rigorous thought in its students. The early encouragement and feedback I received from Dr. Sylvia Sellers-Garcia, as well as from Dr. Maura O’Connor and my fellow students in her graduate research seminar (2010-11) fueled my initial research and analysis on the historical contours of timekeeping. I was fortunate to receive generous funding from a number of groups, without which the research for this project would not have been possible: the Taft Research Center, the University Research Council and the UC Gradate School Dean’s Fellowship. I also wish to express my appreciation to my committee members. To Dr. Tracy Teslow, your unique perspective and ideas as a modernist has helped me see and communicate my project from a broader perspective. And to Dr. Robert Kolb, since we first met in Wolfenbüttel (to discuss, as I recall, the end(s) of the world), you have never flagged in your enthusiasm for my work and ideas, an encouragement that has bolstered my spirit on more than one occasion. Last but certainly not least, my primary advisor, Dr. Sigrun Haude, has been a great supporter of this project since the day I walked into her office with the vague notion I wanted to “write my dissertation about time.” That initial spark of an idea would have remained incomplete had you not had faith in the possibilities and given so generously of your time, expertise, kindness and honesty, all of which have helped me convert a once vague notion into what I hope is a cohesive work of research. I am truly grateful for the thorough, challenging and understanding advisor I found in you. The American Calendar. From the earliest that I can remember, my parents have been selfless in their efforts to give me intellectual and creative opportunities they themselves never had while growing up. The many facets of the world they helped me experience shaped me into the curious, creative and communicative thinker I am today. I would never have begun—or finished—this project were it not for the countless ways you helped me become a life-long learner, passionate about the intricacies of the world around me. To my siblings, Matt (and Christina) and Sean: you have become some of my best friends and have shaped me through the years more than you will ever know (but I’m still the oldest). I have been further blessed my countless friends and family outside of academia who, in their own way, have encouraged and strengthened me over the long course of graduate school. To Kim Schneider: it does v not seem that long ago that I was sitting in your class, a slightly distractible and yet zealous-to-learn high school student. The wise words you surrounded me with then, and the friendship we continue to share to this day, have touched my mind and heart for a lifetime. And to the whole Schneider clan: my sanity has been tremendously abetted by your hospitality and your continual openness to Basil and me into your lives. To Pat Engler and her family, for the loads of encouragement and home-away-from-home they offered me many times throughout graduate school: I will never forget the depths of the kindness and honest friendship you have shown me. Finally, to Sarah. It’s been absolutely a pleasure leading nearly parallel lives these last four years—relocations, dissertating, Orthodoxy, marriage. I know you’ll be agreeing when it’s your turn to finish, but our friendship has been an indispensable resource in completing my dissertation. For this, and so many other things, I am profoundly thankful that you are in my life. The German Calendar. I was fortunate to spend the entire research phase required for this project at the Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel, Germany and found the convivial environment and hardworking staff of the library to be a great boon to my work. In addition to the Kolbs, I would like to thank Scott Hendrix, Austra Reinis, Mara Wade, Charlotte Colding-Smith, Kathleen Smith, and Trish Ross for their ongoing conversation, advice and sincere interest in my project. In addition, the staff members of the HAB—especially Jill Bepler, Volker Bauer and Elizabeth Harding—provided helpful source leads and questions to push my thinking on the topic. While in Germany, I also participated in a workshop on early modern time perceptions and practices organized by Stefan Hanß at the Freie Universität in Berlin. The questions I received from fellow participants helped move my work forward at a pivotal juncture in my research, especially a conversation I had with Gabrielle Jancke about entangled history and time perceptions. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the generous funding I received from the Rolf and Ursula Schneider Scholarship at the HAB as well as the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), without which the research for this project would not have been possible. The Canadian Calendar. During the two years I spent writing the draft of this thesis, I found an academic home at the Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies (CRRS) at Victoria College in Toronto. Sharing ideas with other early modernists and Renaissance scholars from a variety of disciplines has enriched my project in countless ways. In particular, I wish to thank the members of my dissertation writing group who have so often given me the gift of human contact and collaboration (and coffee breaks) during the seemingly endless writing process: Jacqueline Taucar, Tianna Uchacz, Sarah Richardson and Elizabeth Moss. The Greek Calendar. Marrying into the Greek culture in the midst of dissertating heightened my awareness of the tension between liturgical and civil modes of time that have persisted—for many—even in modern society.