DOI article:
Kandt, Kevin E.: Some notes on two allegorical drawings attributed to Andreas Schlüter the Younger from the Jacob Kabrun collection in the National Museum of Gdańsk
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43437#0195
of Sciences (founded 1700) located on the north-side of the Neue Marstall
or New Stables (1687-1696),91 (fig. 25) while its sister institution - the Aca-
demy of Fine Arts and Mechanical Sciences (founded 1694) - was assigned
to the south side facing Unter den Linden.92 The founding of the new Acad-
emy of Sciences came under the guidance of Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz
(1646-1716).93 It became official in a decree signed by Elector Friedrich III on
10 May 1700 giving further details of its institutional regulations, official
functions, and academic tasks - including the desperately-needed calendar
reform for Brandenburg-Prussia.94
The new calendars, which were to be created and printed by the Academy,
would be offered as a monopoly-based sale in Berlin and all the provinces of
Brandenburg-Prussia as specified in the previously-mentioned Electoral decree
signed by Friedrich III.95 From the outset, in the years 1697-1700, the prelimi-
nary conception for the institution s foundation included plans for an astronomi-
cal observatory - inspired by the renowned ones already founded in Paris (1667)
and London (1675) - which was vital for the preparation of new calendars as well
as being an idea that had originated with the Berlin-court pastor Daniel Ernst
Jablonski (married 1660 - died 1741) who had been born, incidentally, near
Danzig.96 However, due to an extreme lack of funds, work on the structure would
91 For a brief, general history of the Academy’s building from its origins, see:
Werner Hartkopf, Von der ‘Conferenzstube zum Hauptgebdude der Akademie, “Spectrum.
Monatszeitschrift - Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR” 1985, Jg. 16, Nr. 2, p. 29-31; nr. 3,
p. 29-31; nr. 4, p. 29-31. The print showing the building comes from Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr’s
“Celestial Map of the Southern Skies” (dated 1716-18) published in Atlas Ccelestis (Niirnberg 1742),
plate 19. Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Kartenabteilung (hereafter SBB-KA), Sig. 2° Kart. A 217-19.
92 Gunther Schiedlausky, Martin Grunberg. Ein Markischer Baumeister aus der Wende
vom 17. zum 18. Jahrhundert, Burg bei Magdeburg 1942, p. 151-153; Heckmann, Baumeister...,
p. 122, 138-139.
93 Brather, Leibniz..., p. 31-122.
94 The extensively thorough stipulations concerning this matter were made public in the
declaration, compare: Geheime Rat - Allgemeine Verwaltung. Acta betr. Die Fundation der
Koniglichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. (1700-1772). GStA-PK I. HA Rep Rep. 9 AV, K lit. m II,
Fasc. 2, fols. 3v-4r. For the Berlin observatory and calendar-reform, see: H.-S. Brather, Leibniz...,
p. 233-258; Wolfgang Kokott, Umwege zur Kalendereinheiten: Der ‘Verbesserte Kalender (1700
bis 1775) und die Grundung der Berliner Sternwarte and Jurgen Hamel, Ephemeriden und
Informationen: Inhaltliche Untersuchungen Berliner Kalender bis zu Bodes Astronomischen
Jahrbuch, “ both, “Acta Historica Astronomiae” 2000, Bd. 8, p. 43-46, 49-70 respectively.
95 See again: Acta betr. die Fundation der Koniglichen Akademie..., GStA-PK I. HA Rep
Rep. 9 AV, K lit. m II, Fasc. 2, fols. 3v-4r. For an overview, see: Adolf Harnack, Geschichte der
Konigliche Preufiischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, Berlin 1900, p. 123; Brather,
Leibniz..., p. 233-258; Grau, Die Preufiische Akademie der Wissenschaften..., p. 62-64.
96 The idea for an observatory, which probably originated not with the Electress of
Brandenburg -Sophie Charlotte but rather with Jablonski in the autumn of 1697, became a part
of Wilhelm von Leibniz’ plan for a new academy of sciences in Berlin. See: Brather, Leibniz...,
p. 31-45, 341. - Grau, Die Preufiische Akademie der Wissenschaften..., p. 60-62; H. Randolph,
Akademie und innerprotestantische Kirchenunion - Bruckenschlage des Hofpredigers zur
Gelehrtenrepublik und zur lutherischen Konfession, [in:] Bruckenschlage - Daniel Ernst Jablonski
Some Notes on
Two Allegorical
Drawings
Attributed...
193
or New Stables (1687-1696),91 (fig. 25) while its sister institution - the Aca-
demy of Fine Arts and Mechanical Sciences (founded 1694) - was assigned
to the south side facing Unter den Linden.92 The founding of the new Acad-
emy of Sciences came under the guidance of Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz
(1646-1716).93 It became official in a decree signed by Elector Friedrich III on
10 May 1700 giving further details of its institutional regulations, official
functions, and academic tasks - including the desperately-needed calendar
reform for Brandenburg-Prussia.94
The new calendars, which were to be created and printed by the Academy,
would be offered as a monopoly-based sale in Berlin and all the provinces of
Brandenburg-Prussia as specified in the previously-mentioned Electoral decree
signed by Friedrich III.95 From the outset, in the years 1697-1700, the prelimi-
nary conception for the institution s foundation included plans for an astronomi-
cal observatory - inspired by the renowned ones already founded in Paris (1667)
and London (1675) - which was vital for the preparation of new calendars as well
as being an idea that had originated with the Berlin-court pastor Daniel Ernst
Jablonski (married 1660 - died 1741) who had been born, incidentally, near
Danzig.96 However, due to an extreme lack of funds, work on the structure would
91 For a brief, general history of the Academy’s building from its origins, see:
Werner Hartkopf, Von der ‘Conferenzstube zum Hauptgebdude der Akademie, “Spectrum.
Monatszeitschrift - Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR” 1985, Jg. 16, Nr. 2, p. 29-31; nr. 3,
p. 29-31; nr. 4, p. 29-31. The print showing the building comes from Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr’s
“Celestial Map of the Southern Skies” (dated 1716-18) published in Atlas Ccelestis (Niirnberg 1742),
plate 19. Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Kartenabteilung (hereafter SBB-KA), Sig. 2° Kart. A 217-19.
92 Gunther Schiedlausky, Martin Grunberg. Ein Markischer Baumeister aus der Wende
vom 17. zum 18. Jahrhundert, Burg bei Magdeburg 1942, p. 151-153; Heckmann, Baumeister...,
p. 122, 138-139.
93 Brather, Leibniz..., p. 31-122.
94 The extensively thorough stipulations concerning this matter were made public in the
declaration, compare: Geheime Rat - Allgemeine Verwaltung. Acta betr. Die Fundation der
Koniglichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. (1700-1772). GStA-PK I. HA Rep Rep. 9 AV, K lit. m II,
Fasc. 2, fols. 3v-4r. For the Berlin observatory and calendar-reform, see: H.-S. Brather, Leibniz...,
p. 233-258; Wolfgang Kokott, Umwege zur Kalendereinheiten: Der ‘Verbesserte Kalender (1700
bis 1775) und die Grundung der Berliner Sternwarte and Jurgen Hamel, Ephemeriden und
Informationen: Inhaltliche Untersuchungen Berliner Kalender bis zu Bodes Astronomischen
Jahrbuch, “ both, “Acta Historica Astronomiae” 2000, Bd. 8, p. 43-46, 49-70 respectively.
95 See again: Acta betr. die Fundation der Koniglichen Akademie..., GStA-PK I. HA Rep
Rep. 9 AV, K lit. m II, Fasc. 2, fols. 3v-4r. For an overview, see: Adolf Harnack, Geschichte der
Konigliche Preufiischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, Berlin 1900, p. 123; Brather,
Leibniz..., p. 233-258; Grau, Die Preufiische Akademie der Wissenschaften..., p. 62-64.
96 The idea for an observatory, which probably originated not with the Electress of
Brandenburg -Sophie Charlotte but rather with Jablonski in the autumn of 1697, became a part
of Wilhelm von Leibniz’ plan for a new academy of sciences in Berlin. See: Brather, Leibniz...,
p. 31-45, 341. - Grau, Die Preufiische Akademie der Wissenschaften..., p. 60-62; H. Randolph,
Akademie und innerprotestantische Kirchenunion - Bruckenschlage des Hofpredigers zur
Gelehrtenrepublik und zur lutherischen Konfession, [in:] Bruckenschlage - Daniel Ernst Jablonski
Some Notes on
Two Allegorical
Drawings
Attributed...
193