leibniz

Correspondence

Leibniz's correspondence, that can be traced over 50 years (1663-1716), is considered to be the most comprehensive scholarly correspondence of the 17th century. This is not least due to the exceptionally good state of preservation of the collection of his manuscript papers, which in turn benefited from Leibniz own attentive arrangement of his correspondence. Above all however the writing of letters was one of the central activities of Leibniz - already in his own eyes and those of his contemporaries.

More than 1100 correspondents (and nearly 20000 letters) from 16 countries - from Western and Central Europe, up to Sweden and over to Russia and further on to China - and from all classes of society ranging from representatives of the Imperial court to tradesmen; correspondences, though many of which were of short duration, nevertheless c. 40% were conducted over at least three years and several even over 30 years and more (the longest lasting more than 42 years): in apposition to this surviving material stands the importance that Leibniz continually attributed to his correspondences.

Already during the years in Mainz we are confronted with a systematically established network of correspondents, encompassing about 50 individuals; their number, having stagnated at first, constantly increased from the late eighties of the seventeenth century (in connection with the commission to write a history of the Guelphs, the Italian journey, publication of the infinitesimal calculus) up to a maximum of just about 200 correspondents about the turn of the century and thereafter never fell below 120 until the last year of his life. Nevertheless this network of correspondents with its characteristic "key figures" and agents was in a continual state of renewal. Throughout his life Leibniz was on the lookout for new correspondents; journeys with sojourns in the centers of the republic of letters (Paris, London, Vienna, Florence, Rome, Berlin) provided direct contacts from which emerged at times new correspondences (e.g. Oldenburg, Huygens, Ramazzini, Magliabechi).

Leibniz carefully exploited this correspondent network, for personal self-presentation as well as for the interests of the ducal library, that had been entrusted to him and whose continual updating would be guaranteed by information in letters from the metropolitan centers concerning "tout ce qui s'imprime de nouveau et de curieux presque par toute l'Europe", for recruiting members of the Berlin Academy but also, in line with the custom of the republic of letters, for the introduction of young travelers in Europe, who in turn would set up their own networks (Benzelius), or for travelers in service of the house of Guelphs - the courtly-noble world around him would likewise partake in this network - but above all for sake of information and learned discussion. Besides the learned journals, correspondence is Leibniz's real window to the world and simultaneously his discussion forum; according to his own testimony he expressed his thoughts above all in letters. And so correspondence serves not only for the exchange of "nova literaria" but also for dialogue and controversy; all the themes of his writings, from mathematics and physics through philosophy and theology to historiography and linguistics, from constitutional law to economics and technological advancement for the common weal, are represented there.

Accordingly Leibniz's correspondence is "not an accompaniment to his oeuvre but rather an integral part of his work" (G. Utermöhlen) - an integral part that until the posthumous publication of the great philosophical works was, in the eyes of his contemporaries, almost the only literary legacy of his life and work.

Further Reading:   Georg Gerber, Leibniz und seine Korrespondenz, in: Wilhelm Totok - Carl Haase (eds.), Leibniz. Sein Leben - sein Wirken - seine Welt, Hannover 1966, pp. 141-172.
Gerda Utermöhlen, Der Briefwechsel des Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz - die umfangreichste Korrespondenz des 17. Jahrhunderts und der „république des lettres“, in: Wolfgang Frühwald et al. (eds.), Probleme der Briefedition, Bonn 1977, pp. 87-104.

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