„Reformation“ and „Secularization“ E-Book

Dr. Roman Landau

• Herausgeber: BookRix
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

It took me just a few visits to the State Archive (Staatsarchiv) in Hamburg to realize that there had taken place an impressive revolutionary overthrow in ownership. The documents reveal that up until the 19th century communitarian foundations had been the most important property owners. (Real estate and capital). In Hamburg the so called „Reformation“ and „Secularisation“ did not take place. (!)    
And this could be true for the rest of Germany as well. (!)
 
But is it really possible that well known historians should be that ignorant of the truth? Let's have a better look at the 18th century. (The „Age of Enlightenment“ when allegedly everything is getting better, when at last humanity and human rights are discovered.!!?) Let's look at the regional history that is documented in the archives. During his research in the archives Prof. Kaltenstadler found out that the landowners in the Bavarian area Pöttmes-Neuburg (on the Danube) had been at first Christian monasteries (!) and not (!) the local nobility.  And even though it is taught everywhere at schools and colleges that serfdom was introduced as early as the12th century it cannot (!) be detected anywhere in the sources (for Old Bavaria) of the 15th and 16th century.
Prof. Kaltenstadler arrives at the conclusion (in a letter to me in spring 2006) that the „living-conditions deteriorate significantly in the mid-18th century“ while the establishment of the 18th (and 19th century) seemed to have covered this social deterioration with beautiful theoretical phrases and the discussion of highflying notions.         
 
And he writes referring to our research on the big foundations (Heiligen Geist Hospital, St. Johannis Kloster, St. Georg Kloster): „Your discoveries concerning the economic importance of the Heiligen Geist Hospital (Holy Spirit Hospital) are indeed of great importance and could mean a revolution in historiography“. („zwingt zu einem radikalen historischen Umdenken“). He continues that in his view secularization can no longer be seen as a step towards progress even though state historians copy (and paste) one another in claiming so. He writes:   
„Die Aufklärung spricht zwar über die Menschenrechte, aber die politische Entwicklung ist genau gegenläufig. Die Theorie der Aufklärung und die politische Praxis stimmen damals genauso wenig überein wie heute die Inflation der Ethiklehrstühle und die wirtschaftliche und politische Praxis. (..) Trotzdem wird die Säkularisation noch heute von beamteten Historikern als große Tat gepriesen. Der eine plappert es dem anderen nach.“

Leseprobe

Dr. Roman Landau

„Reformation“ and „Secularization“

BookRix GmbH & Co. KG81371 Munich

Prologue

If one takes the effort to systematically look through the university libraries one will be surprised about the many boring books that had been written. But on the other hand one might discover some peculiar and interesting books as well. For example the language-history-books of the 17th century. The authors of these books of the 17th century (Spaten, Schottelius, Lambeck etc.) do not know anything about the Italian Renaissance of the 16th century. They do not know anything about the Roman Empire (Rise or Fall) as well. They don't know anything about the Greek-Roman Antiquity that we learn and teach in school and university. This fact is (as strange as it is) undiscussed in the learned world of historiography.

(..)It took me only a few visits to the State Archive (Staatsarchiv) in Hamburg to realize that there had taken place an impressive revolutionary overthrow in ownership. The documents reveal that up until the 19th century communal and communitarian (Christian) foundations appear to have been the most important property owners. (Real estate and capital)  

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Copy and Paste

But is it really possible that well known historians should be that ignorant of the truth? Let's have a better look at the 18th century. (The „Age of Enlightenment“ when allegedly everything is getting better, when at last humanity and human rights are discovered.!!?) Let's look at the regional history that is documented in the archives. During his research in the archives Prof. Kaltenstadler found out that the landowners in the Bavarian area Pöttmes-Neuburg (on the Danube) had been at first Christian monasteries (!) and not (!) the local nobility. Only in the15th and 16th century the nobles start to own land according to the sources. And even though it is taught everywhere at schools and colleges that serfdom was introduced as early as the12th century it cannot (!) be detected anywhere in the sources (for Old Bavaria) of the 15th and 16th century.

Prof. Kaltenstadler arrives at the conclusion (in a letter to me in spring 2006) that the „living-conditions deteriorate significantly in the mid-18th century“ while the establishment of the 18th (and 19th century) seemed to have covered this social deterioration with beautiful theoretical phrases and the discussion of highflying notions.

And he writes referring to our research on the big foundations (Heiligen Geist Hospital, St. Johannis Kloster, St. Georg Kloster): „Your discoveries concerning the economic importance of the Heiligen Geist Hospital (Holy Spirit Hospital) are indeed of great importance and could mean a revolution in historiography“. („zwingt zu einem radikalen historischen Umdenken“). He continues that in his view secularization can no longer be seen as a step towards progress even though state historians copy (and paste) one another in claiming so. He writes:

„Die Aufklärung spricht zwar über die Menschenrechte, aber die politische Entwicklung ist genau gegenläufig. Die Theorie der Aufklärung und die politische Praxis stimmen damals genauso wenig überein wie heute die Inflation der Ethiklehrstühle und die wirtschaftliche und politische Praxis. (..) Trotzdem wird die Säkularisation noch heute von beamteten Historikern als große Tat gepriesen. Der eine plappert es dem anderen nach.“

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Foundations are back in fashion in Germany (since about 30 years). What hardly anyone knows: foundations had been very modern (!) as early as the16th century. Most of the (Christian) foundations in Hamburg for example had been founded in the 16th century. But almost all of these foundations are insolvent today. How come?

This is strange because wealth has the tendency to increase itself. Manhattan Island for example was bought in the 17th century from the Indians for $ 24 Dollar. If these $ 24 had had an interest rate of 6 percent, the $ 24 would make up several hundred billion dollars today. In other words around and about the very several hundred billions that Manhattan is worth today. (Samuelson, Economics)

How come: $ 24 Dollar of the 17th century turn into a fortune; whereas on the other hand a 16th century property in Hamburg (worth 1500 Hamburg Silver Marks) turns into nothing. (In words: zero)

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