Benjamin Constant in one click
A pioneer of political liberalism, a precursor of intimate writing and the psychological novel, a theorist of religious sentiment and a thinker of modernity, Benjamin Constant (1767-1830) is today considered a major figure in the intellectual history of the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Born in Lausanne in 1767 into a family of Huguenot origin, he subsequently travelled extensively throughout Europe, focusing on Germany, where he carried out extensive scholarly research, and France, where he distinguished himself as a member of parliament during the Restoration. In addition to his many political writings (treatises, brochures, speeches, articles), Benjamin Constant is also the author of a dozen literary works, of which Adolphe is undoubtedly the best-known.
Today, these literary manuscripts enter the 21stcentury . Adolphe, Amélie et Germaine, Cécile, Les Chevaliers and Les Journaux intimes are now available on our screens, accessible worldwide at the click of a mouse. Thanks to the digitization of the autograph manuscripts preserved at the BCUL, which can now be consulted on the Patrinum platform, everyone has the opportunity to plunge into the turn of the Enlightenment and delve deeper into the work of Benjamin Constant.
Conducted in parallel by the BCUL’s Manuscript Department and theInstitut Benjamin Constant, this project is the result of two years’ work, during which Constant’s literary manuscripts were cleaned, digitized and contextualized before finally being put online. Archivists, restorers, photographers, computer specialists and Constant specialists have all collaborated in this adventure, which required considerable coordination to give researchers and enthusiasts easy access to this precious collection. Available from home, each digitization is accompanied by a complete archival record, including a context and summary of the work, several bibliographical references and digital links relating to the manuscript consulted.
Guillaume Poisson, Marion Curchod (IBC, UNIL)
