Jakob Philipp Fallmerayer is widely considered the most significant German-language Byzantine scholar of the first half of the Nineteenth century. His Geschichte des Kaiserthums von Trapezunt (1827), the first to make use of Michael Panaretos’ chronicle, was the only general history of the empire of Trebizond available prior to Miller (1926) and, more recently, Karpov (2007) and Savvides (2009). His groundbreaking Geschichte der Halbinsel Morea während des Mittelalters (1830-1836), drawing on Constantine Porphyrogenitus, the Chronicle of Morea, Laonikos Chalkokondyles and a host of other sources, set out the thesis that the modern-day inhabitants of the Peloponnese descended from Hellenized Slavic and Albanian immigrants, thereby transforming the writer and historian from South Tyrol into one of the most controversial European intellectuals of his age. Fallmerayer is also noteworthy for his Fragmente aus dem Orient (1845), a detailed description of a journey lasting two years from Regensburg to Trebizond and on to Lamia: the two volumes, penned in a vivacious prose that garnered the praise of major writers such as Friedrich Hebbel, contain memorable portrayals of Trebizond, Mount Athos, Thessaloniki, Larissa and other localities within the Ottoman Empire.
Following a successful conference held at the Academy of German-Italian Studies in Meran / Merano (South Tyrol) on 11-12 November 2022, a volume of studies is currently being edited by Aglaia Blioumi (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) and John Butcher (Academy of German-Italian Studies). Ein Südtiroler zwischen dem Peloponnes und Trapezunt. Jakob Philipp Fallmerayer (1790-1861) will be published by Mimesis Verlag (https://www.mimesisverlag.de/) in the book series “Acta Maiensia”. The volume is due to appear before the end of 2024. Essays may be written in English, German or Italian.
Scholars of Byzantine history and culture, of the Ottoman Empire, of Nineteenth-century Greece, of German-language literature and any other persons interested in contributing an essay are warmly invited to contact Dr John Butcher (johncbutcher@hotmail.com), including a title of the article they are proposing, an abstract (5-10 lines) and a succinct curriculum vitae.
The definitive version of essays accepted for publication must be submitted to the editors by 1 July 2024. A stylesheet will be provided.