Theoria cum praxi. Aus der Welt des Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

This volume presents four lectures given in connection with the symposium "Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: Philosoph - Mathematiker - Physiker - Techniker", which took place at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and was accompanied by an exhibition from July 10 to October 4, 2002. The lecturers were professors Erwin Stein (Hannover), Jürgen Mittelstraß (Konstanz), Heinz Zemanek (Wien) und Günter Fettweis (Leoben). The main part of the volume consists of the results of the project "Leibniz in Vienna", which was undertaken by Lore Sexl. She was able to show that Leibniz's contacts to Vienna were far more extensive than was hitherto assumed; in all, he made seven visits to the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Each time he tried to persuade the reigning emperor, in particular Charles VI, to found an academy of sciences in Vienna. Sexl has carefully investigated and described these visits, and Leibniz's various proposals for an academy are reproduced in the book. An appendix contains the programs of several events that have been organized by Sexl, together with the Commission on the History of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Medicine, on Leibniz and his importance in the founding of scientific academies in Europe.