Bibliographical experiments between Vienna and Zurich. The correspondence between Hugo Blotius and Johann Jakob Frisius (1576-1589)

Abstract

Between June 1575 and January 1608, the Dutch scholar Hugo Bloius, praefectus of the Habsburg collection in Vienna, attempted to provide the library with alphabetic and subjects catalogues, according to the example of Conrad Gessner’s Bibliotheca Universalis. For this purpose, in June 1576, he contacted Josias Simler and Johann Jakob Frisius in Zurich, authors of the last edition of the Bibliotheca Universalis. In the letters Blotius introduced his plan of library organisation and asked for advices in the making of the catalogues. In this way the collaboration between the Viennese and Swiss laboratories of knowledge organisation started, due to last at least until the end of the 80’s. This collaboration allows highlighting not only Hugo Blotius’ activity in the making of catalogues but also introducing a broader reflection on the ways how knowledge was systematised in the late 16th century libraries.