The Universal Computer

The Universal Characteristic

For most of Leibniz’s life, these women were his principal advocates

at the courts in Hanover and Berlin. Sophie Charlotte’s sudden death

in 1705 devastated him; it was such an obvious loss to him that he

even received formal expressions of sympathy from the emissaries

of foreign governments; and when Duchess Sophie . . . died in 1714,

his ability to obtain support for anything other than continuing the

Brunswick history came to an end.

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The history project did provide Leibniz with an excuse to travel, and

he made use of this freedom to an extent that vexed his noble patrons.

Of course Leibniz took full advantage of the possibilities of developing and

maintaining scholarly contacts. In Berlin he even was able to found a