Expeditions into the Archipelago

As part of research expeditions sent by Great Britain and France to the »South Seas« (the Pacific) during the Enlightenment, European travellers searched for the continent of »Terra australis« and described the geography, nature and people of the region. The expeditions were accompanied by media coverage; not least due to the participation of German naturalists such as Johann Reinhold Forster and his son Georg, they were also followed closely in the German press. This book argues that the transnational reception of Pacific exploration gave rise to the idea of a »second age of discovery«, which was the culmination of an exploration emanating from Europe. Beginning with the Conquista in the 16th century, this development took a decisive turn with the scientific innovations of the 17th century and led to a new era in which European countries peacefully competed for »discoveries«.

This study utilises diverse sources such as newspaper articles, library lending registers, reading reports and shipwrecks. Next to researchers specializing in Enlightenment, the history of knowledge and historiography as well as maritime history, this analsysis also addresses a broad readership.


Sünne Juterczenka, born in 1974, has been Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Greifswald since 2023. Her research focuses on the history of religion, the history of travel, the history of knowledge and maritime history. Cultural contacts, transfers and entanglements form a central theme in her studies.