Franz Mikloschich (1813-1891)

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The book details the life and work of Franz Miklosich, a Slovene who founded Slavic studies at the University of Vienna. Born in Lower Styria, he studied philosophy and law in Graz but was inspired by Jernej Kopitar to focus on Slavonic studies. Miklosich had a distinguished career as a librarian, professor, and member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, earning numerous accolades and being knighted by the Austrian Emperor. The narrative unfolds across 34 chapters, exploring the circumstances that advanced his career at the Imperial Library, the Academy, and the University. It provides a comprehensive overview of his research, which spans topics such as Old Slovenian (Old Church Slavic), comparative Slavic grammar, and lexicography, including etymology and language interactions with Modern Greek, Hungarian, Rumanian, Albanian, and Turkish. Additionally, it covers his extensive work on the language of European Gypsies and Byzantine document editions. Miklosich’s contributions to language policy, including the development of legal-political terminology for Slavic languages in Austria and the promotion of Slovene in secondary education, are highlighted. Archival materials offer new insights into his character as both a scholar and a person.