Jacob August Franckenstein

Jacob August Franckenstein (27 December 1689 – 10 May 1733) was the main editor of the first two volumes of Johann Heinrich Zedler's Grosses vollständiges Universal-Lexicon (Great Complete Universal Lexicon), the most important encyclopedia published in Germany in the 18th century.

In August 1713 he acquired a master's degree in philosophy in Leipzig, and in 1719 he received a doctorate in law in Erfurt.

In 1722 he was temporarily a Councilor at Zerbst, the seat of government of the Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, but after two years he returned to teaching at the university.

[1] In 1731, Zedler asked Franckenstein to be the lead editor of the planned Universal Lexicon.

He was a colleague and confidant of Professor Johann Burckhardt Mencke, publisher of the journal "New Learned Works" and other periodicals, a supporter of Zedler's mammoth project.