Apodemica

As Apodemik is called theoretical travel instructions. The term Apodemik has held over the Greek word άποδημέω way into the German, and from there into the European languages ​​. It means literally " be on the road ." The writing and the use of Apodemiken begins in the early modern period and ends with the onset of modernity. Today the term as well as the literary genre is largely unknown.

Formation and development

Traveling instructions are generally as old as the benefits of it. For a long time been the most elaborate travel guides in economic or political mission trip instructions for Messenger. So two selected contact persons were trained for half a year before their departure for the trip and their reporting and specially trained in reporting and monitoring, for example, the first Vatican contacting the Mongol Empire in the late 13th century.

The travel instruction in the form of a Apodemik was introduced in the genre of literature, which later gave it its name. It is a creation of graecisierenden humanism. The term was probably first used in 1577 Apodemik of a Bavarian doctor. Already apodemische writings have been written even if just before the advent of the term, yet it was Theodor Zwinger the Elder, who coined the term in the title of his travel Apodemik theoretical work, one of the first unified theory written travel writings and cars.

Since that time, those tracts were called Apodemiken which give instructions for proper monitoring, behavior and writing and contain additional methodological and historical reflections about traveling. In the following period there appeared a large number of fonts which were either pure traveling instructions apodemischer nature, or at least the chapter on "real" travel included.

Context of origin

The Apodemik can be as a literary genre of their time only understand if you can not be very crucial circumstances of this era in mind. These are firstly, the division of the Church, as well as the interwoven incipient humanistic secularization of Christian values ​​in the course of developing the Enlightenment.

The Catholic veneration of saints was common with the cult of relics of the main reason emergence of classical pilgrimage. Pilgrimages were untouched for centuries part of the religious life. They found in great shape instead of, for example, as a journey to the holy land of Israel, or on a smaller scale, such as as a pilgrimage to local places of pilgrimage. This type of travel is not without controversy in the late Middle Ages. Was she up to now the most common type of non- utilitarian travel, it was at the beginning of the early modern period of reformers like intellectuals alike attacked, because reports of such trips offered often more cause for boasting and to the setting forth of many adventures, as for playback of spiritual experiences. This conception of traveling was in contrast to more stringent morality and virtue ideas of the emerging Protestantism. The motives of an ideal-typical humanist could travel from this point of view no longer be justified on religious grounds. Not that effectively the real extent or the intentions of traveling had suddenly changed - it was more of an intellectual discourse that slowly, with changing socio-structural, global, power-political and religious changes in travel behavior, as well as the preparation and review of travel took hold and was reflected in contemporary literature. This emerged from religious motivations " Hintergrundmatrize " was supplemented by further, the emergence of Apodemik favoring, historical factors.

In the age of humanism, the educated elites were faced with a new phenomenon - the fast and the enormous growth of different kinds of knowledge. Book printing and discover generic and expansive efforts of the great European powers brought a flood of new knowledge and the possibility of faster archiving the same with them. The information gained through travel reports have been cataloged. In the tradition of J. L. Vives (1492-1540) began to sort all the notes with practical benefits and interesting facts for special subjects. The resulting knowledge collections were the first forerunners of the later encyclopedias.

The need for the existence of Apodemiken is illustrated here by a contemporary comment.

In the appearance frequencies printed Apodemiken there are three peaks represent. The first phase covered the years 1611-1620. The reason for increased reception is attributed to the interest späthumanistischer educational trips. The second phase extends between the years 1661-1720. Here the great influx explained by the heyday of the Grand Tour. A final culmination of the number of first publication busbars occurs between 1781-1800, which is related to the educational tours of the members of the enlightened bourgeoisie and the associated recovery of the associated reading scriptures.

The disappearance of the Apodemik

The market for this type of literature is necessarily limited and closely linked to the type of travel. Europe has always traveled in more detail and more intense. More and more evidence could therefore be estimated as known in the course of time. However, the long -term regional characteristics did not change as quickly as they would have had to be re- recorded at each visit. In addition, the general travel practice now developed in different directions. Firstly came the same time as the disappearance of apodemic genre of literature in the early 19th century, the tourism on which no theoretical " accompaniment " required by definition more. Second, the micro- phenomena of geography, biology, anthropology, economics, religion, etc., were visited more frequently by specialists. In this way, scientific research trip was out as a new travel genre, which needed no instructions apodemische more. Thus went out to the middle of the 18th century in Italy and France, the interest in this type of literature. In Germany, a market for Apodemiken could still exist fifty more years. With the release of Franz Posselt's mammoth work - Apodemik or the art of travel - but is also a clear conclusion dot.

Building a Apodemik

As essential components of a Apodemik can be the following fix: At its beginning the journey is defined, ie is determined what should be understood under Travel. Connected to it is a discourse on the benefits or the damage of such ventures, which will be completed over the reference to the "real travel " in favor of the company. The following section contains advice for the traveler and treated a practical part and a theoretical part. The practical includes guidelines for nutrition to the travel time, the travel routes and general behavior of instructions for the preparation, follow-up and execution of the trip. The theoretical part presents itself in the form of a catalog -like scheme of issues, which should facilitate the recording of strange and Sehenswürdigem, by asking questions to what is seen on the observer. Want to capture all of these worth knowing headings Under the premise originated questionnaires, which were more reminiscent of their scope to a " maximum program " for the traveler and to cope in principle by anyone. This had the consequence that the requirements for the practical implementation were regularly reduced ..

Demarcation from other travel literature

Apodemiken are works in which lessons are presented at the right travel. In them the practical purpose of travel is reflected. This purpose always implies a practical improvement of traveling through in-depth behavioral and monitoring requirements. You always content aimed at the traveler. As a result, a part of that literature is not about which tends content from a reflection off toward only practical assistance. Thus, for example, Course books, technical instructions, statistical travel literature, route books, medical advice, or religious pilgrimage assistance not theoretically instructing, reflective and instructive character. These are more akin to a modern-day guide ( modeled after the Baedeker ) and thus distinguished from Apodemiken. Also covered states descriptions and ordinary trip reports are not in the scope of this genus. These indeed apodemische trains are to be identified, but they are also in general treatises on worldly wisdom often a few pages dedicated to the "real travel " without that they can be associated with their theoretical travel methodology in the stringent sense the Apodemiken.

Effect story

To have worked The merit of the Apodemiken as text type within the historical travel literature is due, no doubt Justin Stagl. However, the high number of publications on the subject have also meant that few did not affect him texts exist for the Apodemiken. With regard to the research on the reception of Apodemiken example, this is particularly striking. Stagl performs two arguments for his allegations that his power to influence of Apodemiken on the travel behavior of its readers: firstly, the variety of authors, including thinker of high rank in their time composing such works were dedicated to and secondly, the related print run. It would have been his opinion hardly found so many publishers, which received the financial risk of a publication, if the books had found no attention in the literary market. This may seem to be insufficient as evidence of their practical use, however. Also appears credible the theory that a Apodemik is also rather obsessed and read than to actually be a groundbreaking companion for traveling.

Selected sources

• Georg Christoph von Neitzschitz: Seven -year-old and dangerous WeltBeschauung By Drey noblest part of the world, Europe, Asia and Africa. Worbey everything / all places Denckwürdiges been diligently searcheth and recorded, like earlier niemahls come to day. Baumann, Budissin [ i.e., Bautzen ] 1666. Digitized and full text in German Text Archive

• Franz Posselt: Apodemik or the art of traveling, a systematic attempt to use young travelers from the educated classes in general and budding scholars and artists in particular. 2 volumes, Leipzig 1795.