Cultural treasures: Justus Möser in the focus of a new research project!

Cultural treasures: Justus Möser in the focus of a new research project!

On June 23, 2025, the VGH Foundation announced a new project to promote cultural participation and convey cultural content. With funding of around 17,000 euros, the project will make a decisive contribution to research into the life and work of the Osnabrück statesman and journalist Justus Möser. In particular, the fulfillment of important funding purposes through the project was emphasized by Dr. Michael Kottmann, the regional director of the VGH in Lingen and Osnabrück, emphasizes. This initiative is carried out in collaboration with several institutions, including the Research Center Institute for Early Modern Cultural History at the University of Osnabrück, the Justus Möser Society, the Osnabrück Historical Association and the Lower Saxony State Archives, Osnabrück Department (NLA OS).

Justus Möser, an important lawyer and politician of the 18th century, is assessed differently in historical research. Prof. Dr. Siegrid Westphal explains that this is primarily due to the one-sided edition of his writings and the focus on his journalistic activities. The current project aims to create a more comprehensive picture of Möser by considering his official activities in conjunction with his journalistic and literary achievements. Access to many handwritten texts that have not yet been edited is therefore of central importance.

Focus on Möser's works and their meaning

Möser wrote numerous reports and statements on practical educational questions that are still important today, such as medical regulations, coin reform and the cloth industry. There is currently considerable uncertainty about the number and location of Möser's official writings, a fundamental problem that the project aims to address. As part of the collaboration with the NLA OS, it is intended to enter the data obtained into an archive information system in order to facilitate access to Möser's reports and to create a basis for a possible edition project.

Since its founding in 2000, the VGH Foundation has had a clear focus on supporting publications on state, regional and cultural history as well as historical projects. This year they are not only supporting the project on Justus Möser, but also numerous other publications and scientific works from the region, such as Gerrit Hollatz's dissertation on the fortunes of the Guelphs after 1918 or the volume of essays on the Napoleonic period in the Osnabrück region, edited by Ulrich Winzer and Susanne Tauss. The diversity of the projects supported shows the foundation's commitment to cultural education and research.

Collaboration and future developments

The developments of these projects are also part of a larger trend in cultural education that is increasingly focusing on social issues. In this context, Miriam Trostorf's work is also important. As a freelance cultural and art educator, she has worked in the past on coming to terms with colonial history and anti-discrimination approaches in cultural education. Their diverse experiences from different cultural contexts offer valuable inspiration for current and future projects.

The initiative to research Justus Möser is a step in the right direction to provide a differentiated picture of historical figures and to facilitate access to valuable historical resources. The project's interdisciplinary approach will not only contribute to the scientific examination of Möser's life, but also initiate a broader discussion about cultural education and participation.

For further information about the project content and other publications, see the website University of Osnabrück, the VGH Foundation and what-us-connects.org.