A relational database of scholars and literati intervening in European Academia since the inception of the first universities to the dawn of the Industrial Revolution is a needed tool to address the question of the role of Academia in the ``Rise of the West’’ with the methods of economics and statistics.
Establishing such a database started in 2017 and contains now (in August 2024) more than 73000 persons active in 376 universities and academies. The project was first funded by ‘Special Research Funds’ of UCLouvain, then by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under grant agreement No. 883033 "Did elite human capital trigger the rise of the West? Insights from a new database of European scholars".
The data collection consists in harvesting manually secondary sources on the history of universities and academies. Starting in 2021, when we have completed the data collection for a given institution, we produce an issue of the Repertorium Eruditorum totius Europae, providing a short description of the institution and the source used, together with some descriptive statistics. When finished, it can serve as an encyclopia of pre-industrial institutions of higher education in Europe
For more detailed information about the individuals, please visit the database available at base RETE.
Editor-in-Chief: Prof. David de la Croix
Co-editor: Dr. Mara Vitale
Editorial assistant: Ms. Virginie Leblanc, Mr. Sébastien Schillings
Collaborators: Prof. Alice Fabre, Prof. Robert Stelter, MA Chiara Zanardello, MA Filippo Manfredini, Dr. Matthew Curtis, Prof. Frédéric Docquier,
LLM Soraya Karioun, MA Julie Duchene, MA Maximilian Ganterer,
BEng Valentine Dubois, MA Gaia Spolverini, BA Hugo Jay, BA Fanny Dock, MA Thomas Eisfeld, Dr. Fabio Blasutto,
MA Guillaume Catoire, BA Cecilia Rolla,
MA Giovanni Di Caprio, MA Mehrdaad Doraghi, BA Panagiotis Mytilinaios, BA Elise Delvaux, BA Tifenn Gualandris, MA Anna Maria Gkopi, BA Blandine Clément, BA Clara Kotala.
| Covered institution | Author(s) | Volume | Link | |
| University of Bologna (1088-1800) | de la Croix, Vitale | 1 | 1-10 | |
| University of Valladolid (1280-1800) | de la Croix, Karioun | 1 | 11-18 | |
| Royal College in Paris (1530-1800) | de la Croix | 1 | 19-24 | |
| University of Jena (1558-1800) | de la Croix, Stelter | 1 | 25-32 | |
| Royal Society of Sciences of Montpellier (1706-1793) | de la Croix | 1 | 33-39 | |
| University of Geneva (1559-1800) | Debois, de la Croix | 1 | 41-47 | |
| Danzig Research Society (1743-1800) | de la Croix, Ganterer | 1 | 49-54 | |
| University of Pont-à-Mousson (1572-1768) | de la Croix, Karioun | 2 | 1-6 | |
| "Mersenne" Academy (1635-1648) | de la Croix, Duchêne | 2 | 7-12 | |
| University of Valence (1452-1793) | de la Croix, Fabre | 2 | 13-20 | |
| University of Copenhagen (1475-1800) | de la Croix | 2 | 21-29 | |
| University of Gießen (1607-1800) | de la Croix, Stelter | 2 | 31-38 | |
| University of Macerata (1540-1800) | de la Croix, Spolverini | 2 | 39-45 | |
| Black African Scholars | de la Croix | 2 | 47-50 | |
| Gresham College (1597-1800) | Debois, de la Croix | 2 | 51-57 | |
| Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences (1700-1800) | de la Croix, Eisfeld, Ganterer | 3 | 1-9 | |
| Royal Spanish Academy (1713-1800) | de la Croix, Duchêne | 3 | 11-17 | |
| Gregorian University in Rome (1551-1773) | de la Croix, Karioun | 3 | 19-26 | |
| University of Santiago de Compostela (1526-1800) | de la Croix, Spolverini | 3 | 27-32 | |
| University of Padua (1222-1800) | de la Croix, Vitale | 3 | 33-42 | |
| Royal Bourbon College in Aix-en-Provence (1603-1763) | de la Croix, Fabre | 3 | 43-50 | |
| Academy of the Ricovrati (1599-1800) | Blasutto, de la Croix, Vitale | 3 | 51-63 | |
| University of Göttingen (1734-1800) | de la Croix, Stelter | 4 | 1-8 | |
| Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts of Bordeaux (1712-1793) | de la Croix, Dock | 4 | 9-17 | |
| Imperial College of Madrid (1560-1767) | de la Croix, Karioun | 4 | 19-25 | |
| Old University of Aberdeen (1495-1800) | de la Croix, Jay | 4 | 27-34 | |
| University of Aix (1409-1793) | de la Croix, Fabre | 4 | 35-44 | |
| Lubranski College in Poznan (1519-1780) | de la Croix | 4 | 45-51 | |
| Universitas Lovaniensis (1425-1797) | Catoire, Debois, de la Croix, Duchêne, Ganterer, Vitale | 4 | 53-66 | |
| Academy of the Gelati (1588-1799) | Rolla, Vitale | 5 | 1-7 | |
| University of Leiden (1575-1800) | de la Croix, Stelter | 5 | 9-16 | |
| Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1724-1800) | de la Croix, Doraghi | 5 | 17-25 | |
| University of Fermo (1585-1800) | Di Caprio, Vitale | 5 | 27-34 | |
| Global view (1000-1800) | de la Croix | 5 | 35-41 | |
| Academy of Sciences of Turin (1757-1800) | de la Croix, Zanardello | 5 | 43-51 | |
| University of Lund (1666-1800) | de la Croix | 5 | 53-60 | |
| University of Parma (1412-1800) | Rolla, Vitale | 6 | 1-8 | |
| Royal Dublin Society (1757-1800) | Debois, de la Croix | 6 | 9-15 | |
| Académie Française (1635-1793) | de la Croix | 6 | 17-23 | |
| University of Heidelberg (1386--1800) | de la Croix, Stelter | 6 | 25-34 | |
| University of Cracow (1364--1800) | de la Croix, Spolverini | 6 | 35-42 | |
| University of Dole (1422--1691) | de la Croix, Mytilinaios | 6 | 43-50 | |
| Academy of Toulouse (1729-1793) | de la Croix, Delvaux | 6 | 51-58 | |
| University of Salamanca (1218-1800) | Vitale | 7 | 1-9 | |
| Royal Society (1660-1800) | de la Croix, Mytilinaios | 7 | 11-19 | |
| University of Tubingen (1477-1800) | de la Croix, Stelter | 7 | 21-30 | |
| University of Turin (1404 – 1800) | Zanardello | 7 | 31-38 | |
| Academy of Besançon (1752-1793) | de la Croix, Delvaux | 7 | 39-45 | |
| Academy of Lisbon (1779-1800) | Vitale | 7 | 47-54 | |
| Academy of Bologna (1714-1800) | Rolla, Zanardello | 7 | 57-65 | |
| A Timeline of Medieval Universities (1714-1800) | de la Croix, Vitale | 8 | 1-5 | |
| University of Strasbourg (1621-1795) | de la Croix | 8 | 7-15 | |
| Philosophical Society of Oxford (1651-1690) | Zanardello | 8 | 17-25 | |
| Academy of Clermont-Ferrand (1747-1793) | de la Croix, Delvaux | 8 | 27-32 | |
| University of Leipzig (1409-1800) | de la Croix, Stelter | 8 | 33-42 | |
| University of Pavia (1361-1800) | Vitale | 8 | 45-52 | |
| University of Toulouse (1229-1793) | de la Croix, Fabre | 8 | 53-63 | |
| Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris (1666-1793) | de la Croix, Zanardello | 9 | 1-10 | |
| University of Molsheim (1621-1793) | de la Croix | 9 | 11-16 | |
| Dissonanti Academy in Modena (1680-1800) | Zanardello | 9 | 17-23 | |
| University of Modena (1175-1800) | de la Croix, Zanardello | 9 | 25-32 | |
| Rediscovering Women | de la Croix, Vitale | 9 | 33-47 | |
| University of Coimbra (1290-1800) | de la Croix, Gualandris, Vitale | 9 | 49-57 | |
| University of Freiburg (1457-1800) | Gkopi, Stelter | 9 | 59-68 | |
| Society of Edinburgh (1731-1800) | de la Croix, Delvaux | 10 | 1-7 | |
| Wages vs. Human Capital | de la Croix, Docquier, Fabre, Stelter | 10 | 9-15 | |
| Human Capital: Worldcat vs. VIAF | Curtis, de la Croix | 10 | 17-22 | |
| College of La Flèche (1603–1762) | de la Croix, Theis | 10 | 23-30 | |
| University of Zamosc (1594–1784) | de la Croix | 10 | 31-37 | |
| Accademia della Crusca (1583–1800) | Vitale | 10 | 39-45 | |
| University of Wittenberg (1502–1800) | Clément, de la Croix | 10 | 47-55 | |
| Academy of Georgofili (1753 – 1800) | Clément, Zanardello | 11 | 1-8 | |
| University of Braniewo (1565–1773) | de la Croix, Gkopi | 11 | 9-16 | |
| Academy of Dijon (1725–1793) | de la Croix, Delvaux | 11 | 17-24 | |
| University of Pisa (1343–1800) | Gualandris, Vitale | 11 | 25-33 | |
| University of Lwow (1608–1800) | de la Croix | 11 | 35-41 | |
| Batavian Society (1769–1800) | Clément, de la Croix | 11 | 43-48 | |
| University of Prague (1348=1800) | Gkopi, Stelter | 11 | 49-60 | |
| Collegium Societatis Iesu Lovaniensis (1542–1773) | de la Croix, Vitale | 12 | 1-8 | |
| University of Perugia (1308–1800) | Manfredini, Vitale | 12 | 9-17 | |
| Academy of Arras (1737–1793) | Zanardello | 12 | 19-25 | |
| College of Polotsk (1580–1800) | de la Croix, Gkopi | 12 | 27-33 | |
| University of Barcelona (1450–1714) | de la Croix, Gualandris | 12 | 35-41 | |
| Studium Florentinum (1321–1800) | Vitale | 12 | 43-51 | |
| Royal Zeeland Scientific Society (1769-1800) | Clément, de la Croix | 12 | 53-59 | |
| Royal Norwegian Society (1766-1800) | de la Croix, Delvaux | 13 | 1-6 | |
| University of Bourges (1464-1793) | de la Croix | 13 | 7-16 | |
| Naval Academy in Brest (1752-1793) | Clément, Zanardello | 13 | 17-23 | |
| Stanislas Academy (1750-1793) | de la Croix, Kotala | 13 | 25-31 | |
| University of Uppsala (1477-1800) | de la Croix | 13 | 33-41 | |
| University of Siena (1246–1800) | Manfredini, Vitale | 13 | 43-51 | |
| University of Vilnius (1578–1800) | de la Croix, Gkopi | 14 | 1-8 | |
| University of Utrecht (1636–1800) | de la Croix | 14 | 9-15 | |