Studies of the Byzantine Greek texts in Latvia (Eduard Kurtz) Dr.philol. Brigita Kukjalko November 8–10, 2012 Colloquium Balticum XI Lundense Lund University

2 Eduard Kurtz (1845–1925)

3 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)

4 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

5 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)

6 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)

7 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

8 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)

9 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

10 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.

11 Correspondence letters connected with publishing 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

12 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)

13 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))

14 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.)

15 Continuation of Byzantine Studies in Latvia ?

16 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!