DOI article:
Bentzien, Ulrich: International bibliography of plough literature: preliminary report and practical examples
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48998#0030
INTERNATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
OF PLOUGH LITERATURE
PRELIMINARY REPORT AND PRACTICAL EXAMPLES*
Ulrich Bentzien
On the occasion of the Vflth International Con-
gress of anthropological and ethnological scien-
ces in Moscow (August 1964) I suggested the
compilation of an international bibliography of
plough literature. This proposal was supported
by Ivan Balassa and other colleagues. Some gene-
rally accepted reasons may be summarized: Re-
search on the history of ploughing implements can
be regarded as a main field of ethnology. Its bib-
liographical resources are, however, deficient.
This is particularly true for the literature pub-
lished before World War I, which has been re-
corded most completely by Paul Leser: Entsteh-
ung und Verbreitung des Pfluges, Munster 1931.
Likewise the addition of the special titles listed
in the “Volkskundliche Bibliographic” since 1917
provides only incomplete material, because the
volumes published in the twenties and thirties in
particular neglected the field of material culture.
As to current information, there are at present
three main bibliographical sources which, alto-
gether, guarantee a relative completeness. These
are the “Internationale Volkskundliche Biblio-
graphic” (Bonn, ed. by Robert Wildhaber/Basel),
the “Bibliographia Historiae Rerum Rusticarum
Internationalis” (Budapest, ed. by Peter Gunst)
and the mimeographed lists “Accessions to the
library” of the International Secretariat for Re-
* Translated and revised version of the author’s pa-
per “Internationale Pflugbibliographie. Vorbericht
und Beispielsammlung«. The examples below are
changed.
search on the History of Agricultural Implements
(Brede alle, Lyngby). Consequently there exists an
urgent necessity for a retrospective bibliography.
Current supplements need not appear often (re-
search on ploughing implements is not a “great”
discipline).
The author of this preliminary report is not
the head of an acting bibliographical organiza-
tion with an international base. He is a scientist
himself and has listed bibliographically a large
mass of literature used for his research on the
history of the plough in Germany. Included are
old and modern titles from nearly the whole of
Europe, till now about 2.000 entries. This col-
lection may be the basis of a regular bibliogra-
phy, provided that numerous colleagues will sup-
port the editor.
The projected bibliography intends to compile
all printed works (books, articles, catalogues etc.)
dealing with the history of the plough. Its special
character is a historical and ethnological one. As
to time, it includes plough culture from its be-
ginnings to the beginning of modern mechaniza-
tion. Geographically the plan is at first restricted
to Europe including Caucasian countries. Anno-
tations are only provided in cases where titles of
books, articles etc. are not well defined. Titles
from heterogeneous disciplines are to be con-
sidered : ethnology, prehistory, history (economic
history, history of material culture, agrarian hi-
story, history of technics), classic archaeology,
museology, philology and geography. Publica-
OF PLOUGH LITERATURE
PRELIMINARY REPORT AND PRACTICAL EXAMPLES*
Ulrich Bentzien
On the occasion of the Vflth International Con-
gress of anthropological and ethnological scien-
ces in Moscow (August 1964) I suggested the
compilation of an international bibliography of
plough literature. This proposal was supported
by Ivan Balassa and other colleagues. Some gene-
rally accepted reasons may be summarized: Re-
search on the history of ploughing implements can
be regarded as a main field of ethnology. Its bib-
liographical resources are, however, deficient.
This is particularly true for the literature pub-
lished before World War I, which has been re-
corded most completely by Paul Leser: Entsteh-
ung und Verbreitung des Pfluges, Munster 1931.
Likewise the addition of the special titles listed
in the “Volkskundliche Bibliographic” since 1917
provides only incomplete material, because the
volumes published in the twenties and thirties in
particular neglected the field of material culture.
As to current information, there are at present
three main bibliographical sources which, alto-
gether, guarantee a relative completeness. These
are the “Internationale Volkskundliche Biblio-
graphic” (Bonn, ed. by Robert Wildhaber/Basel),
the “Bibliographia Historiae Rerum Rusticarum
Internationalis” (Budapest, ed. by Peter Gunst)
and the mimeographed lists “Accessions to the
library” of the International Secretariat for Re-
* Translated and revised version of the author’s pa-
per “Internationale Pflugbibliographie. Vorbericht
und Beispielsammlung«. The examples below are
changed.
search on the History of Agricultural Implements
(Brede alle, Lyngby). Consequently there exists an
urgent necessity for a retrospective bibliography.
Current supplements need not appear often (re-
search on ploughing implements is not a “great”
discipline).
The author of this preliminary report is not
the head of an acting bibliographical organiza-
tion with an international base. He is a scientist
himself and has listed bibliographically a large
mass of literature used for his research on the
history of the plough in Germany. Included are
old and modern titles from nearly the whole of
Europe, till now about 2.000 entries. This col-
lection may be the basis of a regular bibliogra-
phy, provided that numerous colleagues will sup-
port the editor.
The projected bibliography intends to compile
all printed works (books, articles, catalogues etc.)
dealing with the history of the plough. Its special
character is a historical and ethnological one. As
to time, it includes plough culture from its be-
ginnings to the beginning of modern mechaniza-
tion. Geographically the plan is at first restricted
to Europe including Caucasian countries. Anno-
tations are only provided in cases where titles of
books, articles etc. are not well defined. Titles
from heterogeneous disciplines are to be con-
sidered : ethnology, prehistory, history (economic
history, history of material culture, agrarian hi-
story, history of technics), classic archaeology,
museology, philology and geography. Publica-