Studies of the Byzantine Greek texts in Latvia (Eduard Kurtz) Dr.philol. Brigita KukjalkoNovember 8–10, 2012

Colloquium Balticum XI Lundense

Lund University

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Eduard Kurtz (1845–1925)

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Eduard Kurtz (1845–1925) the Baltic German classical

philologist the first and the only one so far

Byzantinist in the territory of present-day Latvia

born in Mitau (in Latvian Mitava or Mītava, today Jelgava – town in Latvia) into the family of a local teacher Johann Heinrich Kurtz and Wilhelmine Auguste

(Vecvagars, 2006)

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Eduard Kurtz (1845–1925) father Heinrich Kurtz

studied in Halle and Bonn senior teacher of religion, Greek and

Jewish languages in Mitau (1835–1849) staff professor of Church history and

theological literature at Dorpat University (1849–1870)

author of several works about the Christian religion and the history of the Church

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Eduard Kurtz (1845–1925) lived in Dorpat since 1849 attended the local secondary

school (1855–1862) studied classical philology at

Dorpat University (1863–1868), obtained the degree of cand. philol.

studied in Leipzig (1868) and in Berlin (1869)

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Eduard Kurtz (1845–1925) in 1869 returned to the territory of

presentday Latvia and started his active working life– as an academic teacher at the secondary school in Mitau (untill 1871)

moved from Mitau to Riga and worked as a senior teacher of Greek, Latin and sometimes German (until 1890)

worked as Rigaer Comitee der ausländischen junior and later senior censor (1891–1915)

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Eduard Kurtz (1845–1925) 1915–1920 – lived in Riga, and

obtained a Russian State pension from 1920 to the day of his death

(July 15, 1925) worked in establishments subordinate to the Ministry of Education and in the State library of Latvia, as a junior librarian

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Eduard Kurtz (1845–1925) elected (in 1908) as a member of

the Constantinople Russian Archaeology Institute as well as in the Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg

Dr. honoris causa of the University of Athens (elected in 1912)

became an honorary member of Athens Byzantine Society (in 1924)

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The scope of the present paper

what kind of Byzantine texts were of Kurtz’s interest and what issues has he examined in his letters that contain discussions on writings of the Byzantine period

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Eduard Kurtz’s archive (7 boxes) is kept at the Academic Library of

the University of Latvia and of consists of: different manuscripts, proof-reading notes, published materials, transcripts of

Byzantine period texts, and a considerable amount of

international correspondence. 

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Correspondence

letters connected withpublishing interpretations and readings of

numerous Middle Greek texts the issues on obtaining such text

material (!) letters that contain discussion on

specific writings or a single fragment of a text and the problems associated with it

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Kurtz’s work in the area of science publishing of non-published texts amendments and commentaries to the

texts published by different publishers commenting articles and

interpretations of texts, bibliographical reviews

(Zhebeljov, 1926) scientific editing of other authors’

writings and reviews, as well as texts published about Byzantine epoch

Modern Greek proverbs and sayings – their origin and parallels in other languages

(Vecvagars, 2006)

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Byzantine texts that were of Kurtz’s interest Medieval Greek texts from the

archives of monasteries – biographies of patriarchs and saints (many different authors)

Medieval Greek texts about history and literature (by different authors) incl. Opera Minora in 2 vol. (orationes et epistulae) by Michael Psellos (Michaelis Pselli Scripta Minora, ed. E. Kurtz, Milan: 1936))

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The issues examined

concern with translation and interpretation, editing, corrections

comments and reviews on not published / published texts (interpretation of some phrases, corrections, discussions on separate lexeme etc.)

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Continuation of Byzantine Studies in Latvia

?

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Bibliography, sources

Vecvagars, M. Eduard Kurtz – Byzantinist in Latvia. Rīga : FSI, 2006

Жебелев, С.А. «Эдуард Курц (некролог)». Известия Академии Наук СССР 12 (1926) 1047–1052 [MB]

Eduard Kurtz’s archive (The Academic Library of the University)

Thank you!