Niklas Groschinski (DPhil History)

This presentation seeks to initiate a discussion about early modern environmental history, its opportunities, strengths, and limits. As a starting point, I will present my own project, which deals with the city of Nuremberg in the 15th and 16th century. Nuremberg defined itself by its trade and artistry––two things that can be understood as a conscious distancing from local ‘nature.’ Hence, traditional accounts of the city have focused on these layers of the city’s identity. It is my attempt to reflect on how the natural surroundings have shaped the city and how the city ruled over its waters, woods, meadows, and stone quarries. I will share what sources I have found in the Nuremberg archives, how they might be used to reveal something about these issues; and also, which questions will be hard to answer, given the lack of documentation. I will also give a brief overview of the field of early modern environmental history, segueing into an open discussion about what other env. historians think early modernists should or should not be doing for them. Lastly, I would like to discuss the possible application of env. history concepts, such as non-human agency or new materialism, to a period that is harder to grasp than the past two centuries, which have been the focus of more theoretical studies.