Silke Körber | Humboldt Universität zu Berlin (original) (raw)

Papers by Silke Körber

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, Dec 31, 2022

This chapter describes in detail the collaboration between the Isotype Institute and the book pro... more This chapter describes in detail the collaboration between the Isotype Institute and the book production company Adprint, as well as the agents associated with them: The latter led to a further development of the work of Otto and Marie Neurath - as well as at the book production company Adprint and its successors. The standardisation and professionalisation of creative processes gradually achieved in the process was not only to shape the co-produced books, but also to have a long-term influence on the strategies of visualisation in illustrated publications on non-fiction topics for the ‘common reader’. Overall, the creative co-operation and influence between Adprint and the Isotype Institute can be described by the following characteristics: conceptually through the close exchange on the meaning and implementation of the visualisation of information; in terms of design and aesthetics through the integration of Isotypes into the book layouts and the close semantic link between text and image; in terms of content through the visual transformation in coordination with the respective information to be conveyed and through the communication between commissioned authors, Adprint editors and staff of the Isotype Institute and organisationally with regard to the close cooperation between teams of specialists in the conception and production of the books and the publishers involved. The processes and contexts described show that many of the intellectuals, scientists and artists who were driven out of Austria and Germany continued to play a role in communicating information to the general public that should not be underestimated.

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, Dec 31, 2022

The emergence of the philosophical movement of Logical Empiricism supported by the Vienna Circle,... more The emergence of the philosophical movement of Logical Empiricism supported by the Vienna Circle, its aims and the positions of its members have been thoroughly researched and documented. However, there are still few topics that have not been thoroughly explored, not least Otto Neurath's activities in British exile until his early death. Despite persecution and flight, Neurath managed to continue his scientific activities as part of the Unity of Science movement and forge new alliances, not least with the British philosopher L. Susan Stebbing. Both positioned themselves as scientists and intellectuals against a one-sided, traditional understanding of science and education characterised by social, cultural or religious boundaries. At the same time, Neurath continued to work in theory and practice on his educational theory in the sense of a ‘humanisation of knowledge’ to promote a modern democratic world society.

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, Dec 31, 2022

Publishers, artists, authors and academics in Anglo-American exile played a central role in the d... more Publishers, artists, authors and academics in Anglo-American exile played a central role in the development of contemporary forms of communication for the transfer of scientific knowledge with an international impact, particularly in the medium of illustrated non-fiction. The emergence of the underlying knowledge concepts and the associated complex practices, tools and methods was closely linked to technical and aesthetic innovations in the field of print media. The latter received impulses from contemporary media diversity from photography, film and contemporary art to design. This development was inconceivable without the theoretical and methodological basis and creative practice developed by Otto Neurath as a member of the Vienna Circle and director of the Austrian Museum of Society and Economy. By combining an abstract ‘scientific view of the world’ with didactic realisation, the ideal of a peaceful, international social order was to be made comprehensible and experienceable: ‘Unification by Visualisation’ and ‘Unification by Logicalisation’ became the central narrative for Neurath of a universal humanist education through logical thinking and the visual transformation of information for a modern egalitarian society.

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, Dec 31, 2022

The first half of the 20th century was a time of massive social, economic, technical and scientif... more The first half of the 20th century was a time of massive social, economic, technical and scientific developments. With the emergence and widespread reception of modern mass media, new concepts and standards of information transfer were established and explored. This applied in particular to the communication of factual, social, natural and cultural scientific knowledge to the ‘common reader’, i.e. non-specialist laypeople and citizens. The ideas on the dissemination of scientific information were also linked to ideas on the implementation of this process, for example through cooperation between specialised agents, as well as knowledge concepts adapted to the changing media and their impact on visual media in particular. These connections between the development of a new type of symbolic language called Isotype (International System of Typographic Picture Education) and the ‘picture-text style’ based on it by the Austrian social scientist and philosopher Otto Neurath (1882-1945), which was promoted in the sense of a ‘democratisation of knowledge’, are examined here - as a method of ‘humanising’ scientific information for a mass audience on the one hand and the genesis of a modern type of illustrated non-fiction book in the 20th century on the other. In exile, Neurath co-operated with other emigrants, Jewish and left-liberal publishers and the so-called book packagers, and their staff from Vienna and Berlin. Together they developed modern, semantically close image-text combinations, especially as non-fiction series. Creative practices and organisational structures were successively established and adapted for this purpose, which were expanded after 1945 and made usable for the international book market. As a result, a mass audience was reached with high-quality visualised non-fiction topics and contemporary forms of knowledge transfer were created, which shaped their visualisation strategies in the long term.

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, Dec 31, 2022

Otto Neurath's work on visual education, which he and his team began in Austria, and the ‘Viennes... more Otto Neurath's work on visual education, which he and his team began in Austria, and the ‘Viennese method of image statistics’ formed the basis for the development of the artificial ‘auxiliary language’ Isotype in exile. This is presented in its basic features, central practices, organisational framework and associated collaborations. On this basis, Otto Neurath expanded his concept of ‘visual education’ in general and in relation to a modern image-text style. This was also informed by a continuous preoccupation with historical models and traditions of knowledge transfer in books as well as new possibilities for realisation with the help of the printing and reproduction technology innovations of the time. The Isotype Institute, founded by Otto and Marie Neurath in Oxford, was able to establish itself permanently, not least through co-operation with book producers, artists, academics and British publishers and authors who had also emigrated. The aim was to reach an international audience - in the service of a ‘humanisation’ of knowledge.

Vienna Circle Institute yearbook, Dec 31, 2022

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, Dec 31, 2022

This book reveals for the first time the relevance of the philosophy of the Vienna Circle and Ott... more This book reveals for the first time the relevance of the philosophy of the Vienna Circle and Otto Neurath’s concept of Visual Education for the emergence of a new picture-text style for conveying encyclopedic knowledge – not only in the modern illustrated non-fiction book, but also as one of the pioneers of infographics. Importantly, the contributions of many forgotten German-speaking emigrants, especially women, to this development in the United Kingdom and the United States are included. For instance, the relationship between the British logician L. Susan Stebbing and Otto Neurath is of particular importance, which has been largely unrecognized until now. This text covers the relevance of their exchanges over many years, which was also relevant for the founding of the Isotope Institute and the international Unity of Science movement. This publication thus opens up interdisciplinary perspectives for Vienna Circle researchers in the fields of the history of science, exile studies, as well as in the history of analytic philosophy.

Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook Institute Vienna Circle, University of Vienna Vienna Circle Society, Society for the Advancement of Scientific World Conceptions, 2024

With A. T. Tuboly. Edited texts and introduction to L. S. Stebbing's "Men and Moral Principles" a... more With A. T. Tuboly. Edited texts and introduction to L. S. Stebbing's "Men and Moral Principles" and "The Inadequacies of the Scientific Attitude".

Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook Institute Vienna Circle, University of Vienna Vienna Circle Society, Society for the Advancement of Scientific World Conceptions, 2024

At a time of crisis and war in Europe, the Vienna Circle member Otto Neurath and the British phil... more At a time of crisis and war in Europe, the Vienna Circle member Otto Neurath and the British philosopher L. Susan Stebbing corresponded and co-operated for over a decade from the 1930s onwards. Despite programmatic differences, they agreed that the role of philosophy, science and scientific expertise needed to be reconsidered and that the formation of modern democracies and an egalitarian global society had to be actively promoted that way. The aim was to improve the lives of as many people as possible and contribute to their happiness. For this purpose, it was necessary to find new techniques of knowledge transfer for the general public, but also to train people in critical thinking and in the judgement of facts and data – as an independent, questioning attitude dealing with institutions, politics, or the media. The requirements for transfer on the knowledge production side had to be reflected accordingly. The modernity of Neurath’s and Stebbing's respective thoughts lies in their focus on the ordinary use and transfer of knowledge, in questioning the unlimited authority of scientific experts as well as the ideal of science at the time – in favour of a more pluralistic approach to fight propaganda and disinformation and support social change.

Susan L. Stebbing on Logic and Analysis (Philosophers in Depth). Ed. by S. Chapman, B. Garvey, Palgrave Macmillan, 2024

Marie Neurath and Isotype Picture- books. Ed. by S. Blumesberger, B. Kümmerling-Meibauer, J. Meibauer. De Gruyter, 2024

Jordi Cat, Adam Tamas Tuboly (eds.): Neurath Reconsidered. New Sources and Perspectives, (Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science), Springer, 2019

When Otto Neurath went into exile in 1934, first to Holland and then to England, he succeeded in ... more When Otto Neurath went into exile in 1934, first to Holland and then to England, he succeeded in establishing important new connections within the context of the international Unity of Science movement, for which he was largely responsible. A notable example was the British philosopher L. Susan Stebbing, who supported his pragmatic ideas on the “humanization” of knowledge. Both Neurath and Stebbing were looking for ways to apply modern logic and linguistic analysis, not only to the transfer of information in science and teaching, but above all in publication projects for the “common reader”. In 1941, Stebbing became the first president of the ISOTYPE Institute in Oxford, which Neurath directed until 1945. Soon after ISOTYPE was founded, long-term relations began between it and the book-packaging company Adprint managed by German-speaking emigrés in London, as well as its successors and British clients (publishers). A technically and organizationally sophisticated process for the production of illustrated non-fiction books was gradually established. The “picture-text style” developed by Neurath and epitomized in Modern Man in the Making (1939) was applied to non-fiction books and series with “integrated layouts”, then professionalized and successively transformed into a production model for illustrated books which enabled scientific information to be prepared for the mass market and the “common reader” – in the service of a modern, democratic (post-war) society.

"Zeigen und Bildung. Das Bild als Medium der Unterrichtung seit der frühen Neuzeit.“ Zum 1. Workshop "Pictura Paedagogica Online: Pädagogisches Wissen in Bildern", 2021

Publishing History, 2016

Popular illustrated non-fiction books played an important role for international publishers in th... more Popular illustrated non-fiction books played an important role for international publishers in the course of the twentieth century – especially after the Second World War – in parallel with the ever-increasing internationalization of the book trade. However, due to their emphasis on visual communication, these publications have often been disregarded as supposedly trivial, mass-market products, for example coffee-table books, void of serious information or lacking socio-political impact. This paper takes a different perspective: it focuses on the popular illustrated books produced by a group of German-language émigré publishers in Britain that were deliberately designed to use the communicative qualities of illustrations in order to promote informal and continuing education.

Transatlantic Perspectives, 2014

As an émigré publisher from Vienna, Paul Steiner became one of the first so-called “book packager... more As an émigré publisher from Vienna, Paul Steiner became one of the first so-called “book packagers” of illustrated non-fiction books in the United States. From the 1950s on, he exerted significant influence on the development of this book format in the country. Many of the illustrated books, encyclopedias, and guides to culture, art, history, geography, and nature he developed and produced for and in cooperation with notable American publishing houses—including the innovative wildlife identification books created in cooperation with the Audubon Society—set new standards in terms of quality and design. As part of the internationalization of the publishing business after World War II, these lavishly illustrated publications were also distributed in the German-language market. Like his mentor, the Hamburg-born pioneer of paperback publishing Kurt Enoch, Steiner belonged to a generation of German-speaking immigrants who helped to shape the publishing business in the United States.

Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliograf... more Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über <http://dnb.ddb.de> abrufbar.

Extracurricular seminars by Silke Körber

Our reading group on the history and theory of archives met during Summer term 2015 at the Depart... more Our reading group on the history and theory of archives met during Summer term 2015 at the Department of History, Chair for the History of Science, in order to discuss methodological perspectives on archives and their relevance for our Pre- and Postdoctoral research projects.

Conference Presentations by Silke Körber

Bernese Summer School: Challenging the Sites of Knowledge. Medial and pleura-medial configuration... more Bernese Summer School: Challenging the Sites of Knowledge. Medial and pleura-medial configurations and transformations. September 3 to 7, 2019.

Das Forum Wissenschafts- und Buchgeschichte bringt Nachwuchswissenschaftler/innen mit wissenschaf... more Das Forum Wissenschafts- und Buchgeschichte bringt Nachwuchswissenschaftler/innen mit wissenschafts-, buch- und literaturhistorischen Arbeitsschwerpunkten im 20. Jahrhundert zusammen und findet erstmals im September 2018 in Berlin statt. Erklärtes Ziel der Veranstaltung ist der disziplinenübergreifende Austausch in einem Themenfeld, das durch rezente Digitalisierungsschübe sowohl der Quellen geisteswissenschaftlicher Forschung als auch ihrer eigenen Literaturproduktion und Kommunikation in den Fokus gerät. Welche Publikationsformate waren für Autoren, Verleger und Rezipienten im Laufe des 20. Jahrhunderts relevant? Inwiefern änderten sich Publikationskulturen in Geistes-, Sozial- und Naturwissenschaften in dieser Zeit und wie wurden Medienkonkurrenzen verhandelt? Exemplarisch werden diese Fragen in einem öffentlichen Abendvortrag angerissen, bei dem die als wissenschaftlich konzipierte Reihe „Deutsche Enzyklopädie“ von RoRoRo im Mittelpunkt steht. Die Teilnehmer/innen des Forums erweitern und vertiefen die Diskussion in Sektionen zu den Themenfeldern Genrekonkurrenzen - wissenschaftliches Publizieren - Buchmarkt, in denen sie Fallstudien aus den eigenen Forschungsvorhaben präsentieren. In ausführlichen Diskussionsblöcken der jeweiligen Sektionen sollen auch Teilnehmende ohne eigenen Vortragsbeitrag Gelegenheit erhalten, ihre Forschungsprojekte und Quellenbestände einzubringen. Hierzu dienen auch ein einleitendes Diskussionspanel mit präzirkulierten Auszügen jüngerer wissenschaftshistorischer und soziologischer Forschungsliteratur sowie eine Abschlussdiskussion mit vorgeschaltetem, die Sektionen zusammenfassenden Kommentar.

Book by Silke Körber

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, 2023

This book reveals for the first time the relevance of the philosophy of the Vienna Circle and Ott... more This book reveals for the first time the relevance of the philosophy of the Vienna Circle and Otto Neurath’s concept of Visual Education for the emergence of a new picture-text style for conveying encyclopedic knowledge – not only in the modern illustrated non-fiction book, but also as one of the pioneers of infographics.
Importantly, the contributions of many forgotten German-speaking emigrants, especially women, to this development in the United Kingdom and the United States are included. For instance, the relationship between the British logician L. Susan Stebbing and Otto Neurath is of particular importance, which has been largely unrecognized until now. This text covers the relevance of their exchanges over many years, which was also relevant for the founding of the Isotope Institute and the international Unity of Science movement. This publication thus opens up interdisciplinary perspectives for Vienna Circle researchers in the fields of the history of science, exile studies, as well as in the history of analytic philosophy.

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, Dec 31, 2022

This chapter describes in detail the collaboration between the Isotype Institute and the book pro... more This chapter describes in detail the collaboration between the Isotype Institute and the book production company Adprint, as well as the agents associated with them: The latter led to a further development of the work of Otto and Marie Neurath - as well as at the book production company Adprint and its successors. The standardisation and professionalisation of creative processes gradually achieved in the process was not only to shape the co-produced books, but also to have a long-term influence on the strategies of visualisation in illustrated publications on non-fiction topics for the ‘common reader’. Overall, the creative co-operation and influence between Adprint and the Isotype Institute can be described by the following characteristics: conceptually through the close exchange on the meaning and implementation of the visualisation of information; in terms of design and aesthetics through the integration of Isotypes into the book layouts and the close semantic link between text and image; in terms of content through the visual transformation in coordination with the respective information to be conveyed and through the communication between commissioned authors, Adprint editors and staff of the Isotype Institute and organisationally with regard to the close cooperation between teams of specialists in the conception and production of the books and the publishers involved. The processes and contexts described show that many of the intellectuals, scientists and artists who were driven out of Austria and Germany continued to play a role in communicating information to the general public that should not be underestimated.

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, Dec 31, 2022

The emergence of the philosophical movement of Logical Empiricism supported by the Vienna Circle,... more The emergence of the philosophical movement of Logical Empiricism supported by the Vienna Circle, its aims and the positions of its members have been thoroughly researched and documented. However, there are still few topics that have not been thoroughly explored, not least Otto Neurath's activities in British exile until his early death. Despite persecution and flight, Neurath managed to continue his scientific activities as part of the Unity of Science movement and forge new alliances, not least with the British philosopher L. Susan Stebbing. Both positioned themselves as scientists and intellectuals against a one-sided, traditional understanding of science and education characterised by social, cultural or religious boundaries. At the same time, Neurath continued to work in theory and practice on his educational theory in the sense of a ‘humanisation of knowledge’ to promote a modern democratic world society.

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, Dec 31, 2022

Publishers, artists, authors and academics in Anglo-American exile played a central role in the d... more Publishers, artists, authors and academics in Anglo-American exile played a central role in the development of contemporary forms of communication for the transfer of scientific knowledge with an international impact, particularly in the medium of illustrated non-fiction. The emergence of the underlying knowledge concepts and the associated complex practices, tools and methods was closely linked to technical and aesthetic innovations in the field of print media. The latter received impulses from contemporary media diversity from photography, film and contemporary art to design. This development was inconceivable without the theoretical and methodological basis and creative practice developed by Otto Neurath as a member of the Vienna Circle and director of the Austrian Museum of Society and Economy. By combining an abstract ‘scientific view of the world’ with didactic realisation, the ideal of a peaceful, international social order was to be made comprehensible and experienceable: ‘Unification by Visualisation’ and ‘Unification by Logicalisation’ became the central narrative for Neurath of a universal humanist education through logical thinking and the visual transformation of information for a modern egalitarian society.

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, Dec 31, 2022

The first half of the 20th century was a time of massive social, economic, technical and scientif... more The first half of the 20th century was a time of massive social, economic, technical and scientific developments. With the emergence and widespread reception of modern mass media, new concepts and standards of information transfer were established and explored. This applied in particular to the communication of factual, social, natural and cultural scientific knowledge to the ‘common reader’, i.e. non-specialist laypeople and citizens. The ideas on the dissemination of scientific information were also linked to ideas on the implementation of this process, for example through cooperation between specialised agents, as well as knowledge concepts adapted to the changing media and their impact on visual media in particular. These connections between the development of a new type of symbolic language called Isotype (International System of Typographic Picture Education) and the ‘picture-text style’ based on it by the Austrian social scientist and philosopher Otto Neurath (1882-1945), which was promoted in the sense of a ‘democratisation of knowledge’, are examined here - as a method of ‘humanising’ scientific information for a mass audience on the one hand and the genesis of a modern type of illustrated non-fiction book in the 20th century on the other. In exile, Neurath co-operated with other emigrants, Jewish and left-liberal publishers and the so-called book packagers, and their staff from Vienna and Berlin. Together they developed modern, semantically close image-text combinations, especially as non-fiction series. Creative practices and organisational structures were successively established and adapted for this purpose, which were expanded after 1945 and made usable for the international book market. As a result, a mass audience was reached with high-quality visualised non-fiction topics and contemporary forms of knowledge transfer were created, which shaped their visualisation strategies in the long term.

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, Dec 31, 2022

Otto Neurath's work on visual education, which he and his team began in Austria, and the ‘Viennes... more Otto Neurath's work on visual education, which he and his team began in Austria, and the ‘Viennese method of image statistics’ formed the basis for the development of the artificial ‘auxiliary language’ Isotype in exile. This is presented in its basic features, central practices, organisational framework and associated collaborations. On this basis, Otto Neurath expanded his concept of ‘visual education’ in general and in relation to a modern image-text style. This was also informed by a continuous preoccupation with historical models and traditions of knowledge transfer in books as well as new possibilities for realisation with the help of the printing and reproduction technology innovations of the time. The Isotype Institute, founded by Otto and Marie Neurath in Oxford, was able to establish itself permanently, not least through co-operation with book producers, artists, academics and British publishers and authors who had also emigrated. The aim was to reach an international audience - in the service of a ‘humanisation’ of knowledge.

Vienna Circle Institute yearbook, Dec 31, 2022

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, Dec 31, 2022

This book reveals for the first time the relevance of the philosophy of the Vienna Circle and Ott... more This book reveals for the first time the relevance of the philosophy of the Vienna Circle and Otto Neurath’s concept of Visual Education for the emergence of a new picture-text style for conveying encyclopedic knowledge – not only in the modern illustrated non-fiction book, but also as one of the pioneers of infographics. Importantly, the contributions of many forgotten German-speaking emigrants, especially women, to this development in the United Kingdom and the United States are included. For instance, the relationship between the British logician L. Susan Stebbing and Otto Neurath is of particular importance, which has been largely unrecognized until now. This text covers the relevance of their exchanges over many years, which was also relevant for the founding of the Isotope Institute and the international Unity of Science movement. This publication thus opens up interdisciplinary perspectives for Vienna Circle researchers in the fields of the history of science, exile studies, as well as in the history of analytic philosophy.

Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook Institute Vienna Circle, University of Vienna Vienna Circle Society, Society for the Advancement of Scientific World Conceptions, 2024

With A. T. Tuboly. Edited texts and introduction to L. S. Stebbing's "Men and Moral Principles" a... more With A. T. Tuboly. Edited texts and introduction to L. S. Stebbing's "Men and Moral Principles" and "The Inadequacies of the Scientific Attitude".

Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook Institute Vienna Circle, University of Vienna Vienna Circle Society, Society for the Advancement of Scientific World Conceptions, 2024

At a time of crisis and war in Europe, the Vienna Circle member Otto Neurath and the British phil... more At a time of crisis and war in Europe, the Vienna Circle member Otto Neurath and the British philosopher L. Susan Stebbing corresponded and co-operated for over a decade from the 1930s onwards. Despite programmatic differences, they agreed that the role of philosophy, science and scientific expertise needed to be reconsidered and that the formation of modern democracies and an egalitarian global society had to be actively promoted that way. The aim was to improve the lives of as many people as possible and contribute to their happiness. For this purpose, it was necessary to find new techniques of knowledge transfer for the general public, but also to train people in critical thinking and in the judgement of facts and data – as an independent, questioning attitude dealing with institutions, politics, or the media. The requirements for transfer on the knowledge production side had to be reflected accordingly. The modernity of Neurath’s and Stebbing's respective thoughts lies in their focus on the ordinary use and transfer of knowledge, in questioning the unlimited authority of scientific experts as well as the ideal of science at the time – in favour of a more pluralistic approach to fight propaganda and disinformation and support social change.

Susan L. Stebbing on Logic and Analysis (Philosophers in Depth). Ed. by S. Chapman, B. Garvey, Palgrave Macmillan, 2024

Marie Neurath and Isotype Picture- books. Ed. by S. Blumesberger, B. Kümmerling-Meibauer, J. Meibauer. De Gruyter, 2024

Jordi Cat, Adam Tamas Tuboly (eds.): Neurath Reconsidered. New Sources and Perspectives, (Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science), Springer, 2019

When Otto Neurath went into exile in 1934, first to Holland and then to England, he succeeded in ... more When Otto Neurath went into exile in 1934, first to Holland and then to England, he succeeded in establishing important new connections within the context of the international Unity of Science movement, for which he was largely responsible. A notable example was the British philosopher L. Susan Stebbing, who supported his pragmatic ideas on the “humanization” of knowledge. Both Neurath and Stebbing were looking for ways to apply modern logic and linguistic analysis, not only to the transfer of information in science and teaching, but above all in publication projects for the “common reader”. In 1941, Stebbing became the first president of the ISOTYPE Institute in Oxford, which Neurath directed until 1945. Soon after ISOTYPE was founded, long-term relations began between it and the book-packaging company Adprint managed by German-speaking emigrés in London, as well as its successors and British clients (publishers). A technically and organizationally sophisticated process for the production of illustrated non-fiction books was gradually established. The “picture-text style” developed by Neurath and epitomized in Modern Man in the Making (1939) was applied to non-fiction books and series with “integrated layouts”, then professionalized and successively transformed into a production model for illustrated books which enabled scientific information to be prepared for the mass market and the “common reader” – in the service of a modern, democratic (post-war) society.

"Zeigen und Bildung. Das Bild als Medium der Unterrichtung seit der frühen Neuzeit.“ Zum 1. Workshop "Pictura Paedagogica Online: Pädagogisches Wissen in Bildern", 2021

Publishing History, 2016

Popular illustrated non-fiction books played an important role for international publishers in th... more Popular illustrated non-fiction books played an important role for international publishers in the course of the twentieth century – especially after the Second World War – in parallel with the ever-increasing internationalization of the book trade. However, due to their emphasis on visual communication, these publications have often been disregarded as supposedly trivial, mass-market products, for example coffee-table books, void of serious information or lacking socio-political impact. This paper takes a different perspective: it focuses on the popular illustrated books produced by a group of German-language émigré publishers in Britain that were deliberately designed to use the communicative qualities of illustrations in order to promote informal and continuing education.

Transatlantic Perspectives, 2014

As an émigré publisher from Vienna, Paul Steiner became one of the first so-called “book packager... more As an émigré publisher from Vienna, Paul Steiner became one of the first so-called “book packagers” of illustrated non-fiction books in the United States. From the 1950s on, he exerted significant influence on the development of this book format in the country. Many of the illustrated books, encyclopedias, and guides to culture, art, history, geography, and nature he developed and produced for and in cooperation with notable American publishing houses—including the innovative wildlife identification books created in cooperation with the Audubon Society—set new standards in terms of quality and design. As part of the internationalization of the publishing business after World War II, these lavishly illustrated publications were also distributed in the German-language market. Like his mentor, the Hamburg-born pioneer of paperback publishing Kurt Enoch, Steiner belonged to a generation of German-speaking immigrants who helped to shape the publishing business in the United States.

Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliograf... more Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über <http://dnb.ddb.de> abrufbar.

Our reading group on the history and theory of archives met during Summer term 2015 at the Depart... more Our reading group on the history and theory of archives met during Summer term 2015 at the Department of History, Chair for the History of Science, in order to discuss methodological perspectives on archives and their relevance for our Pre- and Postdoctoral research projects.

Bernese Summer School: Challenging the Sites of Knowledge. Medial and pleura-medial configuration... more Bernese Summer School: Challenging the Sites of Knowledge. Medial and pleura-medial configurations and transformations. September 3 to 7, 2019.

Das Forum Wissenschafts- und Buchgeschichte bringt Nachwuchswissenschaftler/innen mit wissenschaf... more Das Forum Wissenschafts- und Buchgeschichte bringt Nachwuchswissenschaftler/innen mit wissenschafts-, buch- und literaturhistorischen Arbeitsschwerpunkten im 20. Jahrhundert zusammen und findet erstmals im September 2018 in Berlin statt. Erklärtes Ziel der Veranstaltung ist der disziplinenübergreifende Austausch in einem Themenfeld, das durch rezente Digitalisierungsschübe sowohl der Quellen geisteswissenschaftlicher Forschung als auch ihrer eigenen Literaturproduktion und Kommunikation in den Fokus gerät. Welche Publikationsformate waren für Autoren, Verleger und Rezipienten im Laufe des 20. Jahrhunderts relevant? Inwiefern änderten sich Publikationskulturen in Geistes-, Sozial- und Naturwissenschaften in dieser Zeit und wie wurden Medienkonkurrenzen verhandelt? Exemplarisch werden diese Fragen in einem öffentlichen Abendvortrag angerissen, bei dem die als wissenschaftlich konzipierte Reihe „Deutsche Enzyklopädie“ von RoRoRo im Mittelpunkt steht. Die Teilnehmer/innen des Forums erweitern und vertiefen die Diskussion in Sektionen zu den Themenfeldern Genrekonkurrenzen - wissenschaftliches Publizieren - Buchmarkt, in denen sie Fallstudien aus den eigenen Forschungsvorhaben präsentieren. In ausführlichen Diskussionsblöcken der jeweiligen Sektionen sollen auch Teilnehmende ohne eigenen Vortragsbeitrag Gelegenheit erhalten, ihre Forschungsprojekte und Quellenbestände einzubringen. Hierzu dienen auch ein einleitendes Diskussionspanel mit präzirkulierten Auszügen jüngerer wissenschaftshistorischer und soziologischer Forschungsliteratur sowie eine Abschlussdiskussion mit vorgeschaltetem, die Sektionen zusammenfassenden Kommentar.

Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, 2023

This book reveals for the first time the relevance of the philosophy of the Vienna Circle and Ott... more This book reveals for the first time the relevance of the philosophy of the Vienna Circle and Otto Neurath’s concept of Visual Education for the emergence of a new picture-text style for conveying encyclopedic knowledge – not only in the modern illustrated non-fiction book, but also as one of the pioneers of infographics.
Importantly, the contributions of many forgotten German-speaking emigrants, especially women, to this development in the United Kingdom and the United States are included. For instance, the relationship between the British logician L. Susan Stebbing and Otto Neurath is of particular importance, which has been largely unrecognized until now. This text covers the relevance of their exchanges over many years, which was also relevant for the founding of the Isotope Institute and the international Unity of Science movement. This publication thus opens up interdisciplinary perspectives for Vienna Circle researchers in the fields of the history of science, exile studies, as well as in the history of analytic philosophy.