Montag, 8. Dezember 2025, 16.50-18.20, Raum N.316 | Monday, 8 Dec 2025, 4.50-6.20 pm, room N.316
Vortrag in Englisch
Link zur Online-Teilnahme
Abstract: In my presentation, I will examine the linguistic choices and translational activities of two philosophers active in St. Petersburg between 1810 and 1840: Peter Lodij (1764–1829), born in Galicia, and Adam Fischer (1797–1861), originally from Steyr in Upper Austria. Both thinkers came from the linguistically and culturally diverse Habsburg Empire, and their work in Russia offers valuable insights into early efforts to shape Russian philosophical language.
Peter Lodij began his academic career teaching Greek Catholic theology in Lviv and Krakow. After moving to St. Petersburg in 1802, he became one of the pioneers of university-level philosophical education in Russia. A central focus of my talk will be Lodij’s translation of Baumeister’s Moral Philosophy (1790), a work originally dedicated to Emperor Joseph II and Maria Theresa. Lodii rendered the text in what he referred to as the Rossiiskii language – as opposed to Russkii (ethnic/national Russian) – a hybrid form rooted in Church Slavonic. This translation represents one of the earliest systematic attempts to create a philosophical vocabulary suitable for academic discourse in Russian. I will also discuss his original writings and additional translations in legal and philosophical theory, published in St. Petersburg during the 1810s and 1820s.
Adam Fischer, a graduate of the University of Vienna, arrived in St. Petersburg in 1820 as a private tutor. After Lodij’s death in 1829, he succeeded him in his academic position. Initially teaching in Latin, Fischer soon began publishing and lecturing in Russian – both at the university and, despite his affiliation with the Catholic Church, at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. Although he published only a limited number of works, Fischer played a significant role in promoting the teaching of logic and empirical psychology in Russian.
These two cases demonstrate that translation in this context was not merely a linguistic task, but a process deeply embedded in social, institutional, and ideological frameworks. Notably, Lodij’s background in Habsburg Galicia – today part of Ukraine – adds an important regional dimension to this process, illustrating the role of intellectuals from the region as cultural brokers in shaping the language and content of Russian academic discourse. Although both thinkers have largely been forgotten today, their careers highlight the contribution of academic traditions rooted in Austrian and German-speaking contexts to the development of Russian as a language of university-level education.