Speaker:
Rajesh Ramachandran
- Heidelberg University
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
at
12:00 PM
Zoom webinar https://univr.zoom.us/j/89475596589
The use of a language in written and formal contexts that is distinct from the varieties used in everyday communication -- such as Latin in early modern Europe and Standard Arabic in the Arabic-speaking world -- comes with benefits, but also with costs. Drawing on city-level data on all books and pamphlets published in Europe between 1451 and 1600, we document that the Protestant Reformation was associated with a sharp rise in religious vernacular printing in Protestant cities, which was soon followed by a rise in vernacular printing outside the religious field and beyond Protestant cities. As a result, by the end of the 16th century, the majority of works were printed in spoken tongues rather than in Latin. This transformation not only allowed broader segments of society to access available knowledge, it also allowed, as we show, broader segments of society to contribute to knowledge creation. As a consequence, book content diversified. Finally, we provide evidence that an increase in vernacular printing at the city level is correlated with higher population growth -- a proxy for economic development -- and in the birth of notable innovators and creative individuals. In this way, we argue that the vernacularization of printing was an important driver of European dynamism in the early modern period.
- Programme Director
-
Roberto
Ricciuti
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External reference
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- Publication date
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March 4, 2021
