The Global History Seminar Series LAUGH presents Frank Ejby Poulsen, European University Institute - Books, Networks, and Worldviews: Don Juan José de Austria's Library as a Laboratory of Global Knowledge (1629-1679) This paper examines the private library of Don Juan José de Austria (1629-1679) as a microcosm of early modern knowledge production and global circulation, analyzing how this illegitimate son of Philip IV assembled, curated, and disseminated worldviews through his extensive collection across his various governmental posts in Flanders, Catalonia, and Naples. Through systematic analysis of his library's contents—particularly works on mathematics, arts, and global affairs—we can trace the intellectual networks that shaped his understanding of Spain's expanding world and identify the specific knowledge frameworks he promoted through the scholarly societies he established in each territory he governed. This case study demonstrates the potential for a broader comparative methodology that could illuminate how elite private libraries functioned as nodes in global knowledge networks, offering a new lens for understanding how information about the world was filtered, transformed, and circulated through informal intellectual channels during the early modern period.

Interest in broadening the historical perspective beyond national borders has grown since the early 1990s. Several researchers have spoken of a “world historical turn” or a “transnational trend”. The shift in perspective can be encompassed by concepts such as global history, world history, transnational history, comparative history, histoire croisée and entangled history. With this seminar we want to highlight ongoing research in the field and discuss the relationship between theory and empiricism and how these perspectives affect our view of the past.

We welcome all interested parties, students and researchers alike.

The seminars are typically held both in person and on Zoom. Contact Cecilia Lundström for Zoom link.

Welcome to explore the world with us!