Despite its enormous extent and significance, Neo-Latin literature, i.e. the Latin literature from the Renaissance to the present day, is little studied and poorly represented in academic institutions. The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Neo-Latin Studies intends to counteract this shortcoming by its exclusive dedication to Neo-Latin literature (with a focus on the 16th to 18th century) and by a fresh approach:

Traditional studies have tended to look at Neo-Latin from the perspective of other disciplines – such as classics, history, or the modern languages –, which has cemented a misconception of the inferior nature and backward orientation of Neo-Latin literature. The LBI, by contrast, will set Neo-Latin literature in the context of its time and develop a model by which it can be understood as a dynamic element of early modern culture, which has made a significant contribution to the emergence of Europe as we know it today.

Partner of the Institute are the University Freiburg, the Pontificio Comitato di Scienze Storiche at the Vatikan und the Austrian National Library.