Denis Diderot, philosopher, editor, and contributor to the Encyclopaedia, or a Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Crafts revolutionized access to knowledge in the age of the enlightenment. In the digital age, most of us consult extensive databases, specific dictionaries, and free encyclopaedias online to find out about dates, facts, and basic information. Whereas these setups come with flaws, their presence has brought the publication of massive encyclopaedias, lexica, and glossaries virtually to a halt. Moreover, post-theories have rightfully pointed to underlying biases when it comes to power and the creation of knowledge namely when focusing on colonial settings. Such trends make the Lexikon zur Überseegeschichte (LZÜ), advertised by the publisher Franz Steiner Verlag as a “standard reference for outer-European history in German”, an unexpected project.
Translated to Lexicon for Overseas History, this more than 900-page volume has high ambitions. According to editor and historian Hermann Hiery, who worked on this volume with the Gesellschaft für Überseegeschichte, the LZÜ aims to provide “a profound first overview of many areas and aspects tied to European contact history outside of Europe” (v). The volume claims to be inter- and multi-disciplinary, with entries ranging from political history, social history, linguists, religious studies, and even to sports. As outlined in the introduction, more than 300 authors “from all parts of the world” (vii) contributed to roughly 2,000 entries, organized from A to Z. Editor Hiery is aware of broader challenges when noting, “Any selection is by default subjective” (vi). In his view a collection “of important, concise, and informative facts” (vii) is valuable to capture “the own and other, events, developments and the people behind it all” (v). At least partially aware of underlining eurocentrism, Hiery points to the inclusion of indigenous voices; he also notes that this publication “does not want to lecture (moralisch belehren)” (vii) its audiences.
The LZÜ is full of dates, facts, and information. Interested readers can find entries tied to different geographical areas, timeframes, and topics, and any casual glance can bring exciting topics to light. An arbitrary stop on pages 294/295, for example, showcases information tied to the Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin (Berlin Geographical Society), the Gettysburg Address, Gewürze (spices), and Ghana. Another unplanned halt on page 734/735 includes information about the Serengeti, the Algerian town of Sétif, Seuchen (pandemics), the Treaty of Sèvres (1920), the astronomical tool known as a Sextant, Seychelles, and Zulu leader Shaka. Entries come at different lengths, reaching from a short paragraph (e.g. “Wallace-Line”, 854; “Ibn Battuta”, 354) to several pages (e.g., “Christopher Columbus”, 446-449; “Brazil since Independence”, 124-127). Detailed cross-references, as well as a short bibliography following many entries, allow interested readers to lose themselves in this volume—if they are not searching for specific information. Along the way, they will discover a great deal about European overseas expansion and empires. For instance, the entry on “Kolonialwaren (colonial goods)” opens an array of references. They reach from spices to commodities and industrialization (443) plus send readers across the world. More specific entries about individuals like Johann August Sutter ties his biography to the “gold rush”, “The Mexican-American War”, and several other topics (784-785), and soon users might find themselves deeply ingrained within Latin American history.
After browsing even just a little in the LZÜ, readers will notice hidden inconsistencies and a surprising arbitrariness of entries. For instance, there are accounts on several cities in the United States, such as Chicago (165-166); New York, on the other hand, is missing. Moreover, there is no entry on the crucial commodity guano—whereas we have one on “baseball” (86-87). A similar inconsistency is present when it comes to chronological frameworks. Although there is a clear emphasis on the post-1492 period and the age of “new” imperialism, references to antiquity show up indiscriminately. A German-centric bias is present throughout, which reminded this reviewer a little of the 1920 Deutsche Koloniallexikon. Whereas such randomness can unearth surprising novelties, broader subjectivities and inconsistencies tell readers more about the western-centric mindset of those creating this volume than oversea empires.
Apart from these arguably distracting idiosyncrasies, this volume raises much more significant questions. First, editor Hiery speaks about the effort of providing “an extensive framework of facts and dates” (vii). However, supposedly static “truths” are, at times, tied to larger debates. For example, an entry on the Herero and Nama Uprising in German Southwest Africa (334/335) outlines that many historians define such events as genocide (335). A cross-referenced entry on “Völkermord (genocide)” (850-851) by a different author, on the other hand, notes that the events in German Southwest Africa do not constitute genocide. This inconsistency is not merely an inconsistency; instead, it speaks to broader problems when trying to differentiate between ever-shifting historical findings and facts. Moreover, regarding editing, Hiery shows a surprising lack of self-awareness: editors decided to include or exclude entries, grounded in their European perspective and power. Most contributors to the LZÜ are at Western institutions. In fact, only twenty-two scholars are from outside of Europe—and that includes the United States, Canada, and Australia. Only two are at universities in Africa. Whereas geographic location does not necessarily guarantee diversity in voices, this element speaks to larger views and perspectives: Europe remains the centre of it all, even if editor Hiery claims that this volume does not aim to do so (v). It is this limitation in light of postcolonial theory, historiographical as well as methodological realities, and public debates in Germany today—combined with a price of € 99.00 and by now widely available digital references—that will likely limit the reach of the LZÜ beyond reference libraries.
