Johann Samuel Ersch (23 June 1766 – 16 January 1828) was a German

bibliographer Bibliography (from and ), as a discipline, is traditionally the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology (from ). English author and bibliographer John Carter describes ''bibliograph ...

, generally regarded as the founder of German bibliography.

Biography

He was born in Großglogau (now Głogów), in

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

. In 1785 he entered the

University of Halle Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (), also referred to as MLU, is a public research university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg. It is the largest and oldest university in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. MLU offers German and i ...

with the view of studying

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

; but soon became more interested in

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

, bibliography and

geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...

. At Halle he made the acquaintance of Johann Ernst Fabri, professor of geography; and when Fabri was made professor of history and statistics at the

University of Jena The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. The university was established in 1558 and is cou ...

, Ersch accompanied him there, and helped him in the preparation of several works.ADB:Ersch, Johann Samuel
In:

Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB; ) is one of the most important and comprehensive biographical reference works in the German language. It was published by the Historical Commission of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences between 1875 and 1912 in 56 volumes, printed in Lei ...

(ADB). Band 6, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1877, S. 329–331. In 1788 he published the Verzeichnis aller anonymischen Schriften, as a supplement to the 4th edition of Johann Georg Meusel's Gelehrtes Deutschland. The researches required for this work suggested to him the preparation of a Repertorium über die allgemeinen deutschen Journale und andere periodische Sammlungen für Erdbeschreibung, Geschichte, und die damit verwandten Wissenschaften (Lemgo, 1790–92). The fame which this publication acquired for him led to his being engaged by Christian Gottfried Schütz and Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland to prepare an Allgemeines Repertorium der Literatur, published in eight volumes (Jena and Weimar, 1793–1809), which condensed the literary productions of fifteen years (1785–1800), and included an account not merely of the books published during that period, but also of articles in periodicals and magazines, and even of the criticisms to which each book had been subjected. While engaged in this great work Ersch also planned La France littéraire, which was published at Hamburg in five volumes, from 1797 to 1806. In 1795 he went to Hamburg to edit the Neue Hamburger Zeitung, founded by Victor Klopstock, brother of Gottlieb Klopstock, but returned in 1800 to Jena to take an active part in the Allgemeine Literaturzeitung. He also obtained in the same year the office of librarian in the university, and around 1802 was given the title of professor. In 1803 Ersch accepted the chair of geography and statistics at Halle, and in 1808 was made principal librarian. He here projected a Handbuch der Deutschen literatur seit der mitte des achtzehnten jahrhunderts bis auf die neueste zeit (Leipzig, 1812–14) and, along with Johann Gottfried Gruber, the Allgemeine Encyclopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste (Leipzig, 1818) which he continued as far as the 18th volume. The accuracy and thoroughness of this monumental encyclopaedia made it an indispensable book of reference. He died, aged 61, in Halle.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ersch, Johann Samuel 1766 births 1828 deaths People from Głogów People from the Province of Silesia German bibliographers German encyclopedists German librarians University of Jena alumni University of Halle alumni Academic staff of the University of Halle Academic staff of the University of Jena German male non-fiction writers Scholars from the Kingdom of Prussia