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The ''album amicorum'' ('album of friends', friendship book) was an early form of the ''Göttinger Universitätsgeschichte – Stammbuchblätter''
''kulturerbe.niedersachsen.de'' (n.d.), retrieved 18 October 2017.
In a friendship book, two or more people vowed each other their friendship through filling out a page in the other person's album. This usually took place during special occasions, like festivities or on the departure from one's place of study. The entry could then be renewed during reunions or on the occasion of another festivity. Therefore, the friendship book created the opportunity to have a lifelong memory of the book-owners childhood friends.
Apart from that, the friendship books constituted a collection of autographs from professors (Cf. student scene in "Faust") and from other respected people like
Ideally, the person writing the entry mentions the date and place next to their personal note or poem. The designed page usually contained a life
File:Bound collection of Albums Amicorum belonging to Michael van Meer.jpg
File:Page one of the register of autographs collected by Michael Van Meer.jpg
File:One of the earliest depictions of land wind-surfing. From the album amicorum of Michael van Meer.jpg
File:Coat of arms. From the album amicorum of Michael Van Meer.jpg
File:Coat of arms, and associated illustration. From the album amicorum of Michael Van Meer.jpg
File:Illustration of Windsor Castle, England. From the album amicorum of Michael Van Meer.jpg
File:Coat of arms. Possibly of the Skyffe family. From the album amicorum of Michael Van Meer.jpg
File:Illustration of the Lord Mayor of London in procession. Part of the Album amicorum of Michael Van Meer.jpg
Digitalisat
. * Walter Blankenburg, Fritz Lometsch: ''Denkmal der Freundschaft. Studenten-Stammbücher 1790–1840'' (= ''Druck der Arche.'') 60, . Lometsch, Kassel 1969. * Lotte Kurras: ''Zu gutem Gedenken. Kulturhistorische Miniaturen aus Stammbüchern des Germanischen Nationalmuseums. 1550–1770.'' Prestel, München 1987, . * Hans Günther Bickert, Norbert Nail: ''Liebenswertes Lahn-Athen. Das 300jährige Jubelfest der Philipps-Universität. Die erste Ehrenpromotion einer Frau. Ein Blick in Marburger Stammbücher'' (= ''Schriften der Universitätsbibliothek Marburg.'' 65). Universitätsbibliothek Marburg, Marburg 1992, . * Christine Göhmann-Lehmann: ''"Freundschaft – ein Leben lang …" Schriftliche Erinnerungskultur für Frauen.'' Museumsdorf Cloppenburg, Cloppenburg 1994, (Ausstellungskatalog). * Norbert Nail: ''"Semper lustig. Nunquam traurig." Marburger Studenten im Stammbuch des
The ''album amicorum'' ('album of friends', friendship book) was an early form of the poetry
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...
book and the modern friendship book. It emerged during the reformation period, during which it was popular to collect autograph
An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
s from noted reformers. In the 1700s, the trend of the friendship book was still mainly limited to the Protestant people instead of the Catholics. These books were particularly popular with university students into the early decades of the 19th century.
Noteworthy are the pre-printed pages of a friendship book ( Stammbuchblatt) from 1770 onwards, published as a loose-leaf collection by the bookbinder
Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book of codex format from an ordered stack of ''signatures'', sheets of paper folded together into sections that are bound, along one edge, with a thick needle and strong thread. Cheaper, ...
and pressman Johannes Carl Wiederhold (1743-1826) from Göttingen
Göttingen (, , ; nds, Chöttingen) is a university city in Lower Saxony, central Germany, the capital of the eponymous district. The River Leine runs through it. At the end of 2019, the population was 118,911.
General information
The ori ...
.''kulturerbe.niedersachsen.de'' (n.d.), retrieved 18 October 2017.
Application
In a friendship book, two or more people vowed each other their friendship through filling out a page in the other person's album. This usually took place during special occasions, like festivities or on the departure from one's place of study. The entry could then be renewed during reunions or on the occasion of another festivity. Therefore, the friendship book created the opportunity to have a lifelong memory of the book-owners childhood friends.
Apart from that, the friendship books constituted a collection of autographs from professors (Cf. student scene in "Faust") and from other respected people like priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
s, aristocrats
Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'.
At the time of the word' ...
and prominent figures, since the books often served as letters of recommendation for students switching universities. Through asking a person of a higher rank to sign one's friendship book, the opportunity to reel in potential patrons and protectors for the holder also opened up.
Content and meaning
In its full form an entry would have a personal note, such as a handwrittengreeting
Greeting is an act of communication in which human beings intentionally make their presence known to each other, to show attention to, and to suggest a type of relationship (usually cordial) or social status (formal or informal) between indiv ...
, a poem (of one's own composition) or other small literary texts. Poems that were titled To * (*replaces the name of the owner) were usually meant to be for a friendship book.
Ideally, the person writing the entry mentions the date and place next to their personal note or poem. The designed page usually contained a life motto
A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...
written as a symbolum (line or quote). Signing the page created is essential. Moreover, this signature did not only contain the authors name, but also the faculty where they studied and where they came from is written down. Additionally, right before the name of the person who wrote the entry, a Dedikationsformel (a set phrase to state that this page is a dedication to the owner of the book) was included. This Dedikationsformel was used to ask the owner to memorize the author (memoriae causa scripsi ... engl. "while reading those lines think of ... "). This style is still up to date in autograph books of (primarily) young girls.
More artistic authors sketched colourful pen and ink drawings. With not everyone being artistically skilled, a new market was created in the 18th century. Pre-designed friendship book sheets were sold, which could be filled in with individual information. Sheets displaying pictures of Universities
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
or images related to the students everyday life were highly popular designs for friendship books.
The entry topics emerged from the student's shared experience of university life. The various forms of students' unions
A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...
that were common in the respective centuries were reflected in those book sheets. The friendship book sheets are an important historical source Historical source is an original source that contains important historical information. These sources are something that inform us about history at the most basic level, and are used as clues in order to study history.
Historical sources can includ ...
for the history of the university as the students' unions were oftentimes banned until 1848. There is only very little written records, especially about the student orders from the second half of the 18th century. In such cases, the mostly personal entries on the album sheets often represent the only source. For reasons of confidentiality
Confidentiality involves a set of rules or a promise usually executed through confidentiality agreements that limits the access or places restrictions on certain types of information.
Legal confidentiality
By law, lawyers are often required ...
, the students invented a variety of cryptographic elements through which they confirmed their belonging to the order without anyone being able to prove it. The union's identity symbols emerged from those cryptographic elements that are still partially used by the students' unions today. The circle or the federal symbol for example, occur in every student coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
.
See also
* friendship book * autograph bookLiterature
* ''Herzog August d. J. – Das Stammbuch (1592–1605)''. 10 Postkarten. Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel etr. Tübingen o. J. * Robert Keil, Richard Keil: ''Die Deutschen Stammbücher des sechzehnten bis neunzehnten Jahrhunderts. Ernst und Scherz, Weisheit und Schwank in Original-Mittheilungen zur deutschen Kultur-Geschichte.'' Grote, Berlin 1893,Digitalisat
. * Walter Blankenburg, Fritz Lometsch: ''Denkmal der Freundschaft. Studenten-Stammbücher 1790–1840'' (= ''Druck der Arche.'') 60, . Lometsch, Kassel 1969. * Lotte Kurras: ''Zu gutem Gedenken. Kulturhistorische Miniaturen aus Stammbüchern des Germanischen Nationalmuseums. 1550–1770.'' Prestel, München 1987, . * Hans Günther Bickert, Norbert Nail: ''Liebenswertes Lahn-Athen. Das 300jährige Jubelfest der Philipps-Universität. Die erste Ehrenpromotion einer Frau. Ein Blick in Marburger Stammbücher'' (= ''Schriften der Universitätsbibliothek Marburg.'' 65). Universitätsbibliothek Marburg, Marburg 1992, . * Christine Göhmann-Lehmann: ''"Freundschaft – ein Leben lang …" Schriftliche Erinnerungskultur für Frauen.'' Museumsdorf Cloppenburg, Cloppenburg 1994, (Ausstellungskatalog). * Norbert Nail: ''"Semper lustig. Nunquam traurig." Marburger Studenten im Stammbuch des
Conrad Westermayr
Conrad Westermayr (30 January 1765, Hanau - 5 October 1834, Hanau) was a German painter and copper engraver.
Life and work
His father, Daniel Jacob Westermayr (1734–1788), was a goldsmith. He learned that craft from him, while attending th ...
.'' In: ''Alma mater philippina.'' Sommersemester 1994, , S. 22–25, (Illustriert).
* Horst Steinhilber: ''Von der Tugend zur Freiheit. Studentische Mentalitäten an deutschen Universitäten 1740–1800'' (= ''Historische Texte und Studien.'' 14). Olms, Hildesheim u. a. 1995, (Zugleich: Stuttgart, Universität, Dissertation, 1994).
* Werner Taegert: ''Edler Schatz holden Erinnerns. Bilder in Stammbüchern der Staatsbibliothek Bamberg aus vier Jahrhunderten.'' Staatsbibliothek Bamberg, Bamberg 1995, .
* Rolf Wilhelm Brednich: ''Denkmale der Freundschaft. Die Göttinger Stammbuchkupfer – Quellen der Kulturgeschichte.'' Bremer, Friedland 1997, .
* Walter M. Brod: ''Aus einem fränkischen Stammbuch – Bütthard und Umgebung. Stammbuchblätter aus der Studienzeit des Michael Joseph Weber, Würzburg. 1817–1822.'' Institut für Hochschulkunde, Würzburg 1997.
* ''Der Freundschaft Denkmal. Stammbücher und Poesiealben aus fünf Jahrhunderten.'' An exhibition in the Buchmuseum der SLUB, February 25 to June 27, 1998. Saxon State Library – Staats - und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden, Dresden 1998.
* Gilbert Heß: ''Literatur im Lebenszusammenhang. Text- und Bedeutungskonstituierung im Stammbuch Herzog Augusts des Jüngeren von Braunschweig-Lüneburg (1579–1666)'' (= ''Mikrokosmos. Beiträge zur Literaturwissenschaft und Bedeutungsforschung.'' 67). Lang, Frankfurt am Main u. a. 2002, (Zugleich: München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Dissertation, 2001).
* Rosemarie Schillemeit (Hrsg.): ''Das Stammbuch des Benedict Christian Avenarius. Zeugnisse eines Studenten- und Hofmeisterlebens in Göttingen, Braunschweig und im Leipzig des jungen Goethe. Mit Erläuterungen und einer Lebensbeschreibung'' (= ''Braunschweiger Beiträge zur deutschen Sprache und Literatur.'' 4). Verlag für Regionalgeschichte, Bielefeld u. a. 2002, .
* Werner Wilhelm Schnabel: ''"Kurtz=Sinn=reiche Sprüche". Barocke Mustersammlungen für Albuminskriptionen.'' In: ''Morgen-Glantz. Zeitschrift der Christian-Knorr-von-Rosenroth-Gesellschaft.'' 12, 2002, , S. 101–133.
* Werner Wilhelm Schnabel: ''Das Stammbuch. Konstitution und Geschichte einer textsortenbezogenen Sammelform bis ins erste Drittel des 18. Jahrhunderts'' (= ''Frühe Neuzeit.'' 78). Niemeyer, Tübingen 2003, (Zugleich: Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universität, Habilitations-Schrift, 2000).
* ''Stammbuch des Johann Bernhard Wilhelm Sternberger aus Meiningen, seit 1773 Student der Rechte in Jena. Jena, Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek, Stb. 90.'' Faksimile. 2 Bände (Faksimile-Bd. Kommentar-Bd. von Joachim Ott). Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena u. a., Jena 2004, .
* Ulrich Rasche: ''Cornelius relegatus in Stichen und Stammbuchbildern des frühen 17. Jahrhunderts. Zur Memoria studentischer Standeskultur in deren Formationsphase.'' In: ''450 Jahre Universität Jena'' (= ''Einst und Jetzt.'' 53). Schmidt, Neustadt an der Aisch 2008, , S. 15–47.
* Volker Schäfer: ''Das Stammbuch des Tübinger Stiftlers August Faber mit seinem Hölderlin-Eintrag von 1789.'' In: Sönke Lorenz, Volker Schäfer (Hrsg.): ''Tubingensia. Impulse zur Stadt- und Universitätsgeschichte. Festschrift für Wilfried Setzler zum 65. Geburtstag'' (= ''Tübinger Bausteine zur Landesgeschichte.'' 10). Jan Thorbecke, Ostfildern 2008, , S. 397–426.
*Nicole Domka/Eva Raffel/Gerd Brinkhus (Hrsg.): In ewiger Freundschaft. Stammbücher aus Weimar und Tübingen, Kulturamt der Univ.-Stadt, Tübingen 2009 (Tübinger Kataloge, Band 83), .
* Werner Wilhelm Schnabel: ''Selbstinszenierung in Texten und Bildern. Stammbücher und Stammbucheinträge aus Helmstedt.'' In: Jens Bruning, Ulrike Gleixner(Hrsg.): ''Das Athen der Welfen. Die Reformuniversität Helmstedt 1576–1810'' (= ''Ausstellungskataloge der Herzog-August-Bibliothek.'' 92). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2010, , S. 68–77.
* Werner Wilhelm Schnabel: ''Stammbücher.'' In: Ulrich Rasche (Hrsg.): ''Quellen zur frühneuzeitlichen Universitätsgeschichte. Typen, Bestände, Forschungsperspektiven'' (= ''Wolfenbütteler Forschungen.'' 128). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2011, , S. 421–452.
* Ralf-Torsten Speler (Hrsg.): ''Vivat Academia, Vivant Professores! Hallesches Studentenleben im 18. Jahrhundert'' (= ''Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg. Katalog des Universitätsmuseums der Zentralen Kustodie.'' NF 7). Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg – Zentrale Kustodie und Universitätsmuseum, Halle 2011, .
*Eva Raffel: Goethe, Galilei und Co. Freundschaftsbücher der Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, Meissner, Berlin 2012, .
*Ferdinand Ahuis, Walther Ludwig (Hrsg.): ''Das Album Reformatorum Cygnaeum (1542/1543) in der Prachtbibel des Zwickauer Bürgermeisters Oswald Lasan.'' Mit einer Einleitung von Ferdinand Ahuis. Hauswedell, Stuttgart 2013, .
* Jan-Andrea Bernhard: ''Das Album Amicorum von Ursula Staehelin aus St. Gallen. Ein Beitrag zur Peregrinations- und Kommunikationsgeschichte.'' In: ''Schriften des Vereins für Geschichte des Bodensees und seiner Umgebung.'' Bd. 131, 2013, , S. 185–197.
* David Paisey: ''A German student's album in the British Library. Lauingen, Wittenberg and Tübingen, 1580–1588.'' In: William A. Kelly, Jürgen Beyer (Hrsg.): ''The German book in Wolfenbüttel and abroad. Studies presented to Ulrich Kopp in his retirement'' (= ''Studies in reading and book culture.'' 1). University of Tartu Press, Tartu 2014, , S. 261–278.
* Werner Wilhelm Schnabel: ''Das Album Amicorum. Ein gemischtmediales Sammelmedium und einige seiner Variationsformen.'' In: Anke Kramer, Annegret Pelz (Hrsg.): ''Album. Organisationsform narrativer Kohärenz.'' Wallstein, Göttingen 2013, , S. 213–239, (''open access'': FWF-E-Book-Library: https://e-book.fwf.ac.at/o:340).
* Margarete Zimmermann, Stephanie Bung: ''Salonalben. Kollektive Gedächtniswerke der Frühen Neuzeit'' mit einem ''Exkurs zu 'La Guirlande de Julie.'' In: Anke Kramer, Annegret Pelz (Hrsg.): ''Album. Organisationsform narrativer Kohärenz.'' Wallstein, Göttingen 2013, , S. 254–270, (''open access'': FWF-E-Book-Library: https://e-book.fwf.ac.at/o:340).
* Georg Objartel: ''Memorabilien in Studenten-Stammbüchern.'' In: Georg Objartel: ''Sprache und Lebensform deutscher Studenten im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert. Aufsätze und Dokumente'' (= ''Studia Linguistica Germanica.'' 123). De Gruyter, Berlin u a. 2016, , S. 105–126.
* Peter Hartwig Graepel: ''Pharmaziehistorisch relevante Stammbücher. Autographen deutscher Apotheker. Miniaturen mit Apothekenansichten und pharmazeutischen Tätigkeiten'' (= ''Gladenbacher Beiträge zur Geschichte des deutschen Apothekenwesens.'' 3). Peter Hartwig Graepel, Gladenbach 2016, .
References
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