Goethe and the Natural Sciences: Astronomy, Geography, and Geology

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00471
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02040:European literature-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Ishihara Aeka 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 教授 (80317289)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: ゲーテ / 近代測地学 / 月面図 / クラドニ / 彗星・隕石 / 近代天文学 / 伊能忠敬 / ガウス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Focusing on poet GOETHE, who also devoted himself to the study of nature, this project illuminated the activities of his contemporaries in science and literature ranging from making of international latitude measurements, lunar mapping, through meteorites to comets. The study traced the process of introduction and establishment of astronomical, geological, and geographical knowledge of the time, through the analysis of letters, diaries, maps, illustrations, star charts, observation records, and literary works. In order to explore the mutual influence and simultaneity between Japan and Europe, a comparative analysis of modern astronomy and geodesy in these areas was also conducted, taking up scholars such as INOU Tadataka, TANAKADATE Aikitu, and KIMURA Hisashi. The results of this five-year research include one single-authored book in Japanese and one co-edited volume with a single-authored paper in German, as well as several papers and presentations in both Japanese and German.

Free Research Field

ドイツ文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

研究成果は可能な限り早めに論文または著書で発表・公開するように努めた。特に日本語単著は、国土地理院をはじめとする測量関係者にも読者層を広げ、この分野における興味・関心を得た（2021年6月、「近代測量に関する文理融合の幅広い普及活動の功績が顕著」であるとして功労者感謝状授与）。自然研究者としてのゲーテに関する論文集はコンパクトだが、今後のゲーテ研究に役立つよう、すみやかに編集・刊行した。またドイツ固有の古い活字や筆記体を読む技術を使って、国内外の歴史的資料の再評価も行った。