A time of change
A Time of Upheaval
The story of Jakob – The Voice of a New Era begins in 1615 – in a world that, on the surface, still appears orderly, but which, deep down, has long since been in a state of flux. In villages, towns and princely courts, one can sense the tension of an era in which questions of faith, power struggles and new ideas collide. A few years later, this will lead to the Thirty Years’ War.
Knowledge, Faith and New Questions
It is a time when people are beginning to look more closely: at the heavens, at nature, at old doctrines and new observations. Science still stands side by side with theology, yet astronomy, mathematics, medicine and the study of nature are gaining ground. Books are becoming the vehicles of a new world: they preserve knowledge, disseminate ideas and pose questions.
Rostock and Leipzig
In the early 17th century, Rostock was an ancient Hanseatic city on the Baltic Sea, characterised by trade, its harbour, brick churches and a university founded as early as 1419, which is considered the oldest in the Baltic region. Leipzig, on the other hand, was a trade fair city and a university city: The university was founded in 1409, and the city is an important centre for trade, scholarship and the circulation of books. Between the Baltic Sea harbour and the fairground, the workshop and the lecture theatre, faith and research, a world unfolds that feels familiar – yet already points towards the modern era.