Tobias Völker, MA (Universität Hamburg)

The Hamburg Diplomat and Orientalist Andreas David Mordtmann (1811–1879) as Contemporary Witness of Late Ottoman History

The dissertation deals with the life and work of the Hamburg Orientalist Andreas David Mordtmann (1811–1879), who came to Istanbul in 1846, where he was first active as an Ottoman civil servant and then served as a Hanseatic envoy from 1860. Mordtmann used his stay to pursue his studies. He toured Anatolia, collected coins and lead seals, deciphered inscriptions, and translated manuscripts. He also worked as a political commentator and journalist. His writings are characterized by a unique transcultural perspective. He was involved in the German community in Istanbul as well as various Ottoman circles. As an Ottoman civil servant, he also actively participated in the reforms, on which he reported to a wide German audience. The dissertation will discuss in detail the resulting ambivalence and the special vantage point from which Mordtmann described the political and social upheavals in the Ottoman Empire during the period of the Tanzimat reforms (1839–1876). At the same time, Mordtmann is to be given his due as a researcher, who made fundamental contributions to the discipline of Ottoman Studies through his local studies.