The edition of the political, historical and linguistic writings of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
The great polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716) left behind an extraordinary legacy of over 100.000 sheets of paper in various formats, from which the Potsdam I Research Centre publishes Series IV ('Political Writings') and Series V ('Historical and Linguistic Writings') of the Academy Edition of Leibniz's works.
The documents in series IV range from politics in the strict sense to nearly all areas of human life in society. Justice, rationalism, the universal harmony of opposing interests, and unity in plurality are the guiding principles of Leibniz’ political thought.
Series V, which began in 2019, will document Leibniz's work as a historian and, closely related to this, his work as a linguist. It will make unique source material on the history of historiography in the early modern period accessible.
The Academy Editon largely presents unpublished writings and letters, and creates the basis for research on Leibniz by providing a historical and critical edition of the texts; secondary collections of select works published all around the world will be based on the Potsdam edition. The edition is published both in print and online.
The Leibniz Edition Potsdam provides services to researchers throughout the world in the field of Leibniz scholarship. It is in continuous contact with the other edition projects of the other academies (in Hannover and Münster) and maintains a wide range of contacts in universities and around the world, so that it can engage the growing international interest in Leibniz’ work and influence.
The Academy research project “The Leibniz Edition Potsdam” is part of the Academies' Programme , a research funding programme co-financed by the German federal government and individual federal states. Coordinated by the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities , the programme intends to retrieve and explore our cultural heritage, to make it accessible and highlight its relevance to the present, as well as to preserve it for the future.