In cooperation with the German-Italian Centre for European Excellence Villa Vigoni in northern Italy and the Werner Reimers Foundation, the Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften is planning a conference entitled »Heinrich Mylius (1769-1854) und die deutsch-italiensiche Verbindungen im Zeitalter der Revolution« (»Heinrich Mylius (1769-1854) and the German-Italian Relations in the Age of the Revolution«).

The period from 1750 to about 1870, the so-called »Sattelzeit« (saddle or transition period), is often retrospectively looked upon only as a time of nation state building. However, if we look more closely, we see a much more complex history and the question arises whether the individual European regions during this period were perhaps formed more by transnational, European identities.

A number of scholars from northern Italy and Frankfurt will devote themselves to investigating this question in a conference that will take place from October 19-21, 2017 at the German-Italian Centre for European Excellence Villa Vigoni at Lake Como. The object of investigation will be the political, literary, academic and economic relations between Germany and Italy during the »Sattelzeit«.

The central figure of examination at the conference will be the Frankfurt merchant Heinrich Mylius, who established himself in Milan in the 1790s and quickly achieved great affluence by trading in silk in the northern alpine export markets. He used his fortune in particular to support scholars, scientists, artists and poets as well as for charitable and social purposes. The good reputation that he attained in his host country enabled him to rise to high positions as a protestant foreigner in primarily Catholic Milan and to become a key figure in German-Italian networks. His art collection and library, located in Milan and at his residence on Lake Como, were virtually unique attractions for the liberal economic bourgeoisie of the era.

The conference is being organized by Magnus Ressel (Goethe University), Immacolata Amodeo (Villa Vignoni), Matthias Lutz-Bachmann (Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften) and Albrecht Graf von Kalnein (Werner Reimers Foundation). Andreas Fahrmeir, Christoph Corneließen and Ellinor Schweighöfer of the History Programme of the Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften are also involved.

Program
International Conference: »Heinrich Mylius (1769-1854) und die deutsch-italienischen Verbindungen im Zeitalter der Revolution«
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More information is available from:
Elinor Schweighöfer, Wissenschaftliche Projektreferentin des Historischen Kollegs im Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften
E-Mail: schweighoefer@forschungskolleg-humanwissenschaften.de
Tel.: 06172 / 13977-14