Filologové z Čech v Berlíně (1878–1886)

The study aims to clarify the relations between the philological scene in Bohemia and Berlin as a centre of certain “transfer of knowledge”, and attempts to outline the academic atmosphere in Berlin (the trends, potential stimuli, changes of institutional background) that the Czech philologists entered into in the years 1878–1886. Thence the attention is focused on the years 1874–1877 when the Germanist Ernst Martin worked in Prague, also as a mentor of several scholars that in later years contributed to the exploration of the history of German letters in Bohemia – namely Wendelin Toischer (he resided in Berlin at the end of the 1870s). The study observes the key significance of Karl Müllenhoff and Wilhelm Scherrer for the orientation of the branch / field of study with a particular set of instructions, rules, techniques and expectations. The emanation of his influence in the environment of Prague was undoubtedly connected with the staffing of chairs for German philology at the joint and, later on, German university in the city. The crucial person of German-speaking philological community in Prague was Johann von Kelle who also supervised the scholarly growth of the Germanist Arnošt Kraus who spent a semester in Berlin in 1882/1883; Jakob Minor worked in Prague for some years, later on he was replaced by August Sauer. The exposition is concluded by the portrayal of the shock aroused by the death of Wilhelm Scherer (in the summer of 1886).