Oriental Cultures and Scholarship in the Baltic Region

This volume uncovers the rich, yet little-known history of scholarly and cultural engagement with the Orient in the Baltic Sea region from 1500 to 1800. Spanning disciplines from theology and philology to diplomacy and material culture, the chapters trace how Islamic, Jewish, and Asian knowledge circulated through universities, libraries, and diplomatic missions. Contributors explore how Northern European scholars, clerics, and collectors engaged with Oriental texts, languages, and artefacts and how they shaped and were shaped by local traditions of knowledge. The book brings to light a vibrant network of exchange that connected the Mare Balticum with the wider early modern world.