Meie ajalooliste kogude põhjal tehtud üliõpilastööd. Juhendaja aruanne

Abstract

Student research ranging from the 17th century to Morgenstern, based on our collections: Supervisor’s report

In recent years, the collections of the University of Tartu Library have offered valuable research material for students, resulting in several bachelor’s and master’s theses. These studies discuss the 17th-century Tartu publications, the first scholars of the university and sources of book history, expanding our knowledge of the history of Estonian science and culture.

In 2011, Jaana Jurtšenkova completed her master’s thesis on the Greek-Latin Dictionary by Johannes Gezelius the Elder, printed in Tartu in 1649. The copy held in the library, which she completely transcribed and edited using Transcriptus, has now been partially republished. Her study highlights the characteristic features of the early modern printing technology and the development of lexicography. 

Ann-Marii Salutee’s bachelor’s thesis (2025) examined Karl Morgenstern’s speech from 1805, “Plan im Lesen”, offering reading recommendations, which provide an overview of the classical educational ideal of the time. The work makes an important contribution to the study of Morgenstern’s legacy and helps to improve the understanding of its position in the German-speaking linguistic area.

In 2024, Hanna-Maarja Selde completed her bachelor’s project, resulting in a critical edition of Andreas Virginius’ theological disputations. She combined a damaged copy from the University of Tartu Library with pages from the National Library
of Finland, creating the most complete academic version of the text to date.

At the same year, Kristiina Kase defended her master’s thesis on the 17th-century theological orations at the Academia Gustaviana, focusing on David Cunitius’ verse oration. The work provides the first systematic overview of early modern
oratory practice in Tartu. 

Two doctoral students also published their articles: Anni Polding studied the formation of the archive collection of the Pedagogical-Philological Seminar, and Rahel Toomik analysed the corpus of Tartu academic orations. She will create a digital version of the texts using eScriptorium.

Two bachelor’s theses from 2024 – Christopher Lääne’s translation of Posselius’ dialogues and Marta Mägimets’ edition of the manuscript disputation “Collegium physicum” – open up new perspectives on the teaching of ancient languages and on the 17th-century natural philosophy.

All these studies show the important role of the University of Tartu Library in the study of Estonian history of science and early modern texts, and in the development of classical philology. The library’s collections continue to inspire new generations of researchers.