Folding sundials, calendars, books of hours ... There are countless artefacts from the late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, in which different perspectives on time clearly overlap, but which are still not well understood. To gain a better understanding of such ‘objects of time’, a direct examination of these objects is necessary and must go along with interdisciplinary collaborations between, in particular, historians, art historians, historians of science and philosophers. Such an interdisciplinary approach is the aim of this ECC-Explorations project which, to allow for an exemplary focus, engages in late medieval and early modern ‘objects of time’ from Northern Germany.

A first workshop (‘exploration day’) is planned for early 2025 in Wolfenbüttel. In cooperation with the project “Die Herzog August Bibliothek in 100 Objekten”, it will explore the rich collection of the Herzog August Library (HAB). Among other things, a folding sundial by H.G. Hertel from 1661 will be examined. It combines the recording of time with a calendar of saints. Moreover, a copperplate engraving from the 17th century will be studied, which links the Passion of Christ with a clockwork. The interdisciplinary perspective of the group coming together on the ‘exploration day’ will contribute to a better understanding of the cultural-historical significance of these objects and expand our knowledge of time-related scientific and everyday practices.

A further collaboration is currently being set up with the Staatsarchiv Bremen which contains a lot of important ‘objects of time’ from Northern Germany as well.

At a strategic level, this ECC-Explorations project is not only meant to deepen joint research efforts of ECC Fellows, but also to create a sustainable network of early career researchers working on similar time-related questions.