A short history of scholars who died over their multivolume projects

Additions are welcome. I have restricted myself to the period 1750-1900.

Charles-François Toustain (+1754), over the 3^rd volume of Nouveau Traité de Diplomatique (6 vols., 1750-65), an extended version of Mabillon’s De Re Diplomatica (1681). Finished by René-Prosper Tassin.

Charles-Marie Févret de Fontette (+1772), over the 4^th volume of Bibliothèque historique de la France (5 vols., 1768-78), an extended version of Le Long’s compendium of the same title (1719). Finished by J.L. Barbeau de la Bruyère.

Antoine Court de Gébelin (+1784), over the 10^th volume of Monde Primitif analysé et comparé avec le Monde Moderne (9 vols., 1773-82). Left unfinished.

Johann Christoph Adelung (+1806), over the 2^nd volume of Mithridates oder Allgemeine Sprachenkunde (4 vols., 1806-17), a compendium of all known languages. Finished by J.S. Vater and Friedrich von Adelung, his nephew.

Wilhelm Gottlieb Tennemann (+1819), over the 11^th volume of Geschichte der Philosophie (1801-19). Left unfinished.

Jean-François Champollion (+1832), over Grammaire égyptienne (1836) and Monuments de l’Egypte et de la Nubie (4 vols., 1835-45). Both finished by his brother.

Joseph-Marie de Gérando (+1842), over the revised version of Histoire comparée des systèmes de philosophie (7 vols., 1822-47). Last three volumes published by his son.

Jacob Grimm (+1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (+1859), over the Deutsches Wörterbuch (32 vols., 1854-1961). Wilhelm died over the letter D, Jacob over E.

Jules Michelet (+1874), over the 3^rd volume of Histoire du XIX^e Siècle (3 vols., 1875), a complement to his Histoire de France and Histoire de la Révolution Française. Left unfinished.

Jacob Burckhardt (+1897), over Griechische Kulturgeschichte (4 vols., 1898-1902). At the time of Burckhardt’s death there was a finished manuscript, but his will stated that it should be destroyed.