Books of ’23 Part II

It’s freezing cold outside, clear, dry, & sunny through the day, clear, dry & moony through the night. Thankfully the terrible wind has subsided. It had howled around the house for at least two full days, coming from Easter directions. Strong enough to prove again that these windows here are cheap crap. I am not here to whine, but to produce another book list, so that I can get them out of the way – ha !

ROMANO, Ruggiero ; TENENTI, Alberto : Die Grundlegung der modernen Welt. Spätmittelalter, Renaissance, Reformation. Augsburg 1998 (Weltbild Weltgeschichte, 12)
This is a cheap reprint of a volume of the Fischer Weltgeschichte (Ger.), a major project of the Fischer publishing house spanning from the mid-Sixties to the early Eighties. This “world history” attempted a pretty modern access by not only narrating a history of events, but taking into account also history of economics, social history at al. This may nowadays look as something bog standard, it was not in the 1960s in Germany in a conservative discipline like history was, and still is.
This volume by ROMANO (1923-2002) (Ger.) and TENENTI (1924-2002) (Ger.) is a fine example for that approach, especially because ROMANOs close connections to Les Annales (Ger., Eng.) (you may sit down now). Still an interesting read.

HABS, Rudolf ; ROSNER, L[eopold] : Appetitlexikon. Ein alphabetisches Hand- und Nachschlagebuch über Speisen und Getränke. Zugleich Ergänzung eines jeden Kochbuchs. Nebst : An-Sätzen zu einer gastronomischen Maieutik von Ginka STEINWACHS. 1. Aufl. Frankfurt/M. 1982 [zuerst : Wien 1894]
ROSNER (1838-1903) (Ger.) was an Austrian publisher, bookseller, homme des lettres. A close friend to Ludwig ANZENGRUBER (1839-1889) (Ger., Eng.), he took special care with the publication of the latter’s works. There is nothing to say about Mr “HABS”, very likely a pseudonym. I am sorry that I can not say more about Frau STEINWACHS (born 1942) (Ger., Eng.), for the simple fact that I have not read more by her than the epilogue in this tome. Interestingly she authored some radio plays. I remember the book as interesting, especially the paragraphs about different wines were attractive, and – of course ! – some exotica are not to be missed, e.g. Quappe, Jauersche Würste, or Hörsteiner – cheerio …

HUEBNER, Friedrich M[arkus] : Die Frau von morgen wie wir sie wünschen. 1. Aufl. Frankfurt/M. 1990 (insel taschenbuch 1194) [zuerst : Leipzig 1929]
This is a new edition with a foreword by Silvia BOVENSCHEN (1946-2017) (Ger., Eng.), a German feminist author and literary critic. It is a collection of essays by seventeen male authors about “modern woman”, and how they imagine her. These imaginations are as diverse as the authors, from conservative to progressive. It is male imagination & wishful thinking, not one woman was asked. The editor HUEBNER (1886-1964) (Ger.) is a German writer, who went to The Netherlands after WWI and lived there for the rest of his life. Seems to have had a dubious role through the second war.

SIMON, Erika : Das antike Theater. 2. verbesserte und erweiterte Aufl., Freiburg Würzburg 1981 (Heidelberger Texte. Didaktische Reihe, Heft 5)
Small, packed softcover about the ancient theatre - when you have read this (less than sixty pages !), you know what is to know about the ancient theatre ; in the appendix are photographs from vase paintings illustrating the text. Erika SIMON (1927-2019) (Ger., Eng.) held the chair for classical archaeology at Würzburg university since 1964.

KAATSCH, Hans-Jürgen : Polizeigesetzgebung in Schweinfurt. Eine Darstellung anhand der reichsgesetzlichen Grundlagen und der reischsstädtischen Polizeiordnungen. Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der juristischen Fakultät der Bayerischen Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. Würzburg 1976 (Mainfränkische Studien, Band 27)
Another dissertation in the field of legal history. It is important to see that “Polizei” in The Reich of the Early Modern Times does not mean your friendly cop with a gun – or another armed official. “Polizei”, especially “Polizeiordnungen” (Ger.) codify administrative, concerning private law, and maybe criminal law related terms. They are usually set in a “landesherrliche” frame. Schweinfurt is a free city of The Reich, so there is a frame of “Reichsgesetze”. The author researches how these laws of The Reich are used for, or better : how they form, the local legislation. KAATSCH (born 1947) (Ger.) is a German forensic pathologist.

Gemeinde Stegaurach (Ed.) ; HAAS, Josef : Stegaurach. Die 1000-jährige Gemeinde am Rande der Stadt. Stegaurach 1996
The community of Stegaurach (Ger., Eng.) holds the opinion that it is thousand years old. Let’s not be overly critic there, history is murky, and why not. It is one of the Festschriften, commemorative publications, that appear on the occasion, or in celebration of, an anniversary, here the thousandth “birthday” of the community. Herr HAAS, about whom I could not find more (verified) information, also authored a chronicle of the parish BTW the city in the title (“community at the border of the city”) is of course Bamberg the beautiful. Nothing special here, in Stegaurach.

AKERMANNN, Manfred ; SIEBENMORGEN, Harald (Eds.) : Hall in der Napoleonzeit. Eine Reichsstadt wird württembergisch. Sigmaringen 1987 (Ausstellung der Stadt Schwäbisch Hall, Johanniterhalle, 17. Juli – 6. September 1987)
It was not easy for some Free Cities of The Reich, and other “capitals”, when The Reich ended. Of course there are those few very large, powerful, and rich Free Cities (Nürnberg, Augsburg, Frankfurt/M. to name just the big three) that stay rich & powerful after 1806, when The Reich finally collapses with a whimper. Then there are the very small Free Cities (Rothenburg a.d.T., Dinkelsbühl, anyone ?) that are already located at the periphery, and stay there. Their situation is not really everted.
It is different for those “in the middle”, like for example Heilbronn, Schweinfurt, and Schwäbisch Hall. The situation is a similar for those former “capitals” like Würzburg that fell from the status of being the residential place of a not totally unimportant duke to being a provincial town at the far-out border of a new kingdom. Similar Schwäbisch Hall, rich because of salt production and salt trade, over night finds itself sidelined in a minor role after having been the star of its own production for centuries. And like Würzburg had to accept the domination of foreign Bavarian rulers in a squeaky new “kingdom” of French mercy, Hall all of a sudden is a provincial town in another squeaky new kingdom called “Württemberg” and ruled from Stuttgart – Suebians rule over Free Franconians, what a shame : Free Franconia !
It’s a well made catalogue of a well planned and executed exhibition with learned essays dealing with various related topics. (What a nicely stilted nothing of a sentence, ha !) I could not find additional information on AKERMANN ; SIEBENMORGEN (1949-2020) (Ger.) was a German art historian and important museum director.

DÜLMEN, Richard van : Entstehung des frühzeitlichen Europa 1550-1648. Augsburg 1998 (Weltbild Weltgeschichte 24)
Like the first title in this list, it is a cheap reprint of the meritorious Fischer Weltgeschichte. van DÜLMEN (1937-2004) (Ger.) was professor of Early Modern History at the university of the Saarland. Still an informative text worth to be read.

Centi-Folium Stultorum in Quarto. Oder Hundert Ausbündige Narren / in Folio (…) Nürnberg 1709
Fools. By Abraham a Santa Clara (1644-1709) (Ger., Eng.) Go here and read yourself, please.

FEUSTEL, Gotthard : Käufliche Lust. Eine Kultur- und Sozialgeschichte der Prostitution. Leipzig 1993
A history of prostitution from ancient to modern times. I could find not more information about Herr FEUSTEL (1936-1996) – the biographical data are given on a page of the Staatliche Kunstsammlung Dresden that shows placards of a (the ?) Berlin Puppentheater. So obviously FEUSTEL had a connection there, and he wrote a history of homosexuality too, but that is all I can find about him. The book itself is a good readable, long essay, nothing more, and it does not want to be any more, so all is well.

It’s done. Thousands of electrons tamed. One day they’ll will come for revenge, I tells yah.

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Books of ’23 part I

The last time I wrote a boring list of books I’ve read, was in early April of last year ! I must put the tomes back into the shelves, because I need the place for other heaps of books, to be read, that actually are stored on a little wooden Stellage (“rack”) in company of unbookworthy stuff. This has to change.

SUDELBREVIER aus den Büchern des Georg Christoph LICHTENBERG gezogen und mit einer Sudelnotiz beschlossen von Gisbert HAEFS. Zürich, 1.- 4.Tsd., Herbst 1988
HAEFS (b. 1950) (Ger., Eng.) is an industrious German writer in different genres, I remember some of his crime fiction. Here he plundered Herrn LICHTENBERG (1742-1799) (Ger., Eng.), that is, the latter’s notebooks, called “Sudelbücher” – did someone ever suggest “scrawlies” for them ? It is a very nice little tome, in red cloth, in a box or slipcase. LICHTENBERG is always uplifting.

BAHR, Erhard (ed.) : Was ist Aufklärung ? Thesen und Definitionen. Kant, Erhard, Hamann, Herder, Lessing, Mendelssohn, Riem, Schiller, Wieland. Stuttgart 1974 (Universal-Bibliothek Nr. 9714)
A collection of definitions and ideas about “enlightenment” by those people who developed & defined the thing, collected by someone who understood what these guys are talking about.

SCHLAUCH, Rudolf : Hohenlohe Franken. Landschaft, Geschichte, Kultur, Kunst. 2.unveränderte Auflage, Nürnberg 1973 (Bibliothek Deutsche Landeskunde)
SCHLAUCH (1909-1971) (Ger.) was a Protestant priest, who immersed himself in folklore studies. He wrote some descriptions of Hohenlohe (Ger.), the region he loved. From 1945 to his death 1971 he was Pfarrer in Bächlingen (Ger.), part of Langenburg. Almost too idyllic to be true. Nevertheless, he cobbled together a useful, and nowadays (fifty years after publication) even charming travel book.

BETZ, Otto ; RIESNER, Rainer : Jesus, Qumran und der Vatikan. Klarstellungen. Gießen 1993
At the beginning of the 1990s some unscientific and sensationalist books were published that approached the “question” of the “Dead Sea Scrolls” or “Qumran Manuscripts” (Ger., Eng., here). Otto BETZ (1917-2005) (Ger.) was a German theologian of the Protestant denomination, and specialised in the New Testament. Rainer RIESNER (b. 1950) (Ger.) is a German theologian, emeritus of the TU Dortmund. One can feel that they became very angry when they had to deal with bullshit à la BAIGENT (1948-2013) (Ger., Eng.) & LEIGH (1943-2007) (Eng.), it shines through. The subtitle is “clarifications” for a reason.

GROSSMANN, Ulrich G. : Einführung in die historische Hausforschung. Darmstadt 1993
Non nonsense, practical guide / instruction on building research / research on, or of historical buildings. GROßMANN (b. 1953) (Ger., Eng.) was head of the GNM from 1994-2019.

BRENDER, Irmela : Christoph Martin Wieland mit Selbstzeugnissen und Bilddokumenten dargestellt. Reinbek b. Hamburg 1990 (rowohlts monographien 475)
WIELAND (1733-1813) (Ger., Eng.) is an important writer of the age of enlightenment. He came to Weimar as educator or tutor of the prince – the one prince Carl August, who would some years later down the beers and ogle the girls with his buddy Johann Wolfgang. It is a well-written, short biography by Irmela BRENDER (1935-2017) (Ger.), a busy writer and translator. If you want to dive deeper into WIELANDs life and work, and fully understand his importance in the history of German literature, you need to grab the new biography by REEMTSMA.

GUGGENHEIM, Peggy : Ich habe alles gelebt. Bekenntnisse einer Sammlerin aus Leidenschaft. 3. Auflage, Bern und München 1980 [zuerst : Out of this Century. Confessions of an Art Addict].
I am not sure whether this is the translation of the third English edition (from 1979 ; first 1949, second 1960). As I found mentioned somewhere, the three editions involve notable changes to the text, the first edition seems to have contained more personal informations than the latter ones. GUGGENHEIM (1898-1979) (Ger., Eng.) surely was an Interesting Woman.

HEINRICH, Mario : Zum Volkacher Stadtrecht am Ende des Spätmittelalters und zu Beginn der Neuzeit unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Salbuches. Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der juristischen Fakultät der Bayerischen Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. Würzburg 1980
Legal dissertation about the municipal law of the town Volkach (Ger., Eng.) with special consideration of the Salbuch (Ger.), a pretty unique source. I read, I forgot, so all is well here, give him a m.c.l. !

BOLTE, Christian ; DIMMLER, Klaus : Schwarze Witwen und Eiserne Jungfrauen. Geschichte der Mörderinnen. 1. Auflage 1997, Sonderausgabe, Hamburg 1997
The title is a bit daft (“Black Widows, Iron Virgins” – spiders and torture device, ach ja). Topics are poisoning (Gesche GOTTFRIED, de BRINVILLIERS, BLAUENSTEINER), murder driven by political motives (Holofernes, Jeanne d’ARC, MARAT, MEINHOF) and others, I’m too lazy to list the rest. Colourful group. Could not find more on the authors, both were born in the early 1960s and studied German studies once – that’s what the blurb on the jacket says.

GARNER, Philip : Utopia … or Bust ! Products For the Perfect World. NewYork 1984
I have no idea where this “book” comes from, how it came into my possession. Philip GARNER (born 1942) is known today as Pippa GARNER (Eng.), and in the last two years there were two exhibitions of their work, maybe because of the “round” birthday. I think the stuff in this book is as funny as a broken leg, and the only factor that keeps me from throwing that thing into the garbage is the respect for the printed book in itself.

LAUGHLIN, Clarence John : The Personal Eye. Introduction by Jonathan WILLIAMS. Stories by Lafcadio HEARN. Captions by the Photographer. NewYork 1973
This is an Aperture Monograph. Clarence John LAUGHLIN : The Personal Eye is the title of an exhibition presented by the Philadelphia Museum of Art from November 1973 to January 1974. LAUGHLIN (1905-1985) (Eng.) can be called a “surrealist”. He has a special view, time is unlimited – in the sense that the past is here. I do not necessarily like his multiple exposures (just one of his tools), it’s enough when he walks around in hard sunlight in New Orleans. Or elsewhere ; he always seems to be with one foot on the other side. One likes his images or not. I like them, especially when in a certain, blue-ish mood.

Stadt Lauffen a. N. (Ed.) : Heimatbuch anläßlich des Stadtfestes 1984. 750 Jahre Stadt Lauffen a. N. 450 Jahre Schlacht bei Lauffen a. N. 450 Jahre Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Lauffen a. N. 70 Jahre Zusammenlegung von Stadt und Dorf Lauffen a. N. Lauffen a. N. 1984.
In case you have missed it, this book is about Lauffen am Neckar (Ger., Eng.). It exists, I have been there. The history of the local Saint Reginswind (Ger.) is interesting, the role the place played in Roman and Merowingian times too. Nice, learned little book (most texts by the local archivist) in celebration of the listed historical anniversaries. Just one of those books.

Thank you for your patience, dear reader. I am sorry to threaten you with the second batch of titles soon to follow.
Resistance is futile.

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Books Over Winter

Now that the vehicle is taken care of – summer tires, oil, car wash (!) -, that the whole of the appartement is cleaned – the urge was irresistible after coming home from the car cleaning frenzy, the need for ekstasis became unbearable ! – now, I say, it is time to sort in these books I have read since November.
This leaves the to-be-read-pile on the side table alone, so I have a chance to take aim. Now follows in no particular order the list of titles I read since I wrote the last list. Maybe You, venerated reader, may find something interesting that induces Your own reading – then this list (and all its precursors) are warrantable.

FORSTER, Leonard : Kleine Schriften zur deutschen Literatur im 17. Jahrhundert. Amsterdam 1977 (Beihefte zum Daphnis, 1. Auch : DAPHNIS VI/4 (1977))
FORSTER (1913-1997) (Eng. ; obit) was without doubt one of the best we had. I wish I had found his writings (forty years) earlier in my life. He truly understood Baroque literature, and could impart his knowledge. Smiley was one of his students.

Kunst und Kultur in Böhmen, Mähren und Schlesien. Ausstellung im Germanischen National-Museum zu Nürnberg vom 22. Mai bis September 1955. Nürnberg 1955
I know that I read it, especially since it contains an article about Rudolf II. But I forgot everything, so it was not really remarkable, sorry.

ASSUNTO, Rosario : Die Theorie des Schönen im Mittelalter. Köln 1963
ASSUNTO (1915-1994) (Ger.) was a philosopher and art theorist. This book about the theory of beauty in the middle ages may be his internationally best known text. He also developed a theory of landscape, and garden. Still worth a read.

JUNKER, Almut ; STILLE, Eva : Zur Geschichte der Unterwäsche 1700-1960. Eine Ausstellung des Historischen Museums Frankfurt. 28. April bis 28. August 1988. Frankfurt / M. 1988
As the title says, a history of modern underwear, from 1700 to 1960. Very comprehensive. I am very sorry, but I have not found further information about the two editors.

ROWOHLT, Harry ; SOTSCHECK, Ralf : In Schlucken-zwei-Spechte. Harry Rowohlt erzählt Ralf Sotscheck sein Leben von der Wiege bis zur Biege. 2. verb. Aufl. Berlin 2002
ROWOHLT (1945-2015) (Ger., Eng.) does what Rowohlt does best, he tells stories, while this guy Sotscheck (b. 1954) (Ger.) somehow hangs around too. The title is – of course ! – a word play / an allusion with O’Brien’s At Swim-to-Birds.
Harry, we miss you.

ARNOLD, Alfons : RIMPAR. Beiträge zur fränkischen Heimat- und Landes-geschichte, dargestellt am Schicksal seiner Menschen und am Werdegang des Dorfes. II. Teil : Im Schein der Fürstenherrlichkeit. Rimpar 1965
Just one of these local histories I like to read. ARNOLD (1912-1972) was the local teacher (and head of the choral society, Gesangsverein). His three volume history of the village Rimpar (Ger., Eng.) follows the sources, he without doubt knows his materials. But he also takes some liberties. He prefers a sometimes darkish-solemn tone bordering to the unintended funny. Truly loves his village.

HABERKORN, Heinz : Anfänge der Fotografie. Entstehungsbedingungen eines neuen Mediums. Reinbek bei Hamburg, 14.-16.Tsd. 1985
HABERKORN (1943-2011) (Ger.) was a painter, graphic artist, and teacher. He describes the possibilities, surrounding factors, that formed the development of the photographic medium. Still an interesting read.

DICKENS, Charles : Italienische Reise. Aus dem Englischen von Noa Kiepenheuer und Friedrich Mincewitz. Mit einem Nachwort von Werner Hermann. Ohne Ort, ohne Jahr.
Mr DICKENS (1812-1870) (Ger., Eng.) visits Italy, and writes about it : Pictures from Italy, London 1846.

GENDOLLA, Peter : Zeit. Zur Geschichte der Zeiterfahrung. Köln 1992
Nice little essay that deals with ideas of time – mythological time, time as arrow, and finally time as a point. GENDOLLA (born 1950) (Ger.) is a literary scholar.

KOVÁCS, Elisabeth : Der Pabst in Teutschland. Die Reise Pius VI. im Jahre 1782. Wien 1983
It was a major European incidence that Pius VI. (1717-1799) (Ger., Eng.) travelled to Vienna to see the Emperor Joseph II. (1741-1790) (Ger., Eng.). The last meeting between the Emperor and the Pope had taken place roughly 250 years earlier, when Karl V. was crowned emperor in Bologna 1530 (on his birthday) by pope Clemens VII. This time they met on a country road near Neunkirchen. Joseph did some re-organisation of the catholic church in Austria, the Pope did not like it, so they had some discussions about the matter. To no avail. The pope then travelled on to Bavaria, Augsburg, and back home via Tirol.
Elisabteh KOVÁCS (1930-2013) (Ger.) was an Austrian historian, and I think she is the only one who wrote about Pius’ voyage.

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Books in Autumn, 2

WUNDERLICH, Werner (Ed.) : Deutsche Schwankliteratur. Band II : Vom 17. Jahrhundert bis zur Gegenwart. Frankfurt/M. 1992
Only right now, when I note down the title, I realise that there is a first volume. As far as I can recall I do not possess it. Schwänke are anecdotes or farces of very diverse quality, some are as comical as a broken leg, while others are witty. Here examples are presented from the 17th, 18th and 19th century up to products of 20th century’s authors. WUNDERLICH (born 1944) was Professor for German Language and Literature at the University of St.Gallen, sadly I could not find more information on him.

MÄLZER, Gottfried : Joahnn Lukas Schönlein (1793-1864) und die Bibliotheca Schoenleiniana. Ausstellung in der UB Am Hubland 3.3.-21.5.1994. Würzburg 1994 (Kleine Drucke aus der Universitätsbibliothek Würzburg, 15)
J.L.SCHÖNLEIN (Ger., Eng.) was one of the most important medical professors of this university, and counts among the most important German medical doctors of the 19th century. MÄLZER (born 1935) was head of the library from 1979 until 1998.

BACHMANN, Erich (Bearb.) : Plassenburg ob Kulmbach. Amtlicher Führer. München 1962
If I can not go to places, I can at least read about them. And I like these black-white photographs very much. One can barely miss the Plassenburg (Ger., Eng.) when visiting Kulmbach. There is not much to say about the town, they brew beer. BACHMANN (1910-1991) was an art historian, and member of Ahnenerbe and HIMMLERs personal cadre. Nevertheless he held an important position in the Bavarian administration of castles etc in the early 1970s. Oh yeah, and of course he became professor in Munich in the 1950s. Nothing to see here, bog standard, move on …

ERBENTRAUT, Regina : Der Genueser Maler Bernardo Castello. 1557? – 1629. Leben und Ölgemälde. Freren 1989 (Wissenschaft und Forschung, 3)
CASTELLO (Ger., Eng.) is a painter of so called mannerism (“Manierismus”) leaning over to baroque style. I think ERBENTRAUTs work is the first (and still only) biography of the man. I do not remember the details, but read it happily. She made me even look at the reproductions for details and comparisons. I could not find more on Frau ERBENTRAUT, sorry.

HERBERS, Klaus : Geschichte des Papsttums im Mittelalter. Darmstadt 2012
From the beginnings to Leo X. (1513-1521). Gives a real “Über-Blick”, over view, along the important lines through the centuries, so that even me can follow. I think it is a markedly well done account.HERBERS (born 1951) (Ger.) was until 2019 professor in Nürnberg-Erlangen, specialised in history of early Spain and (of course) history of the papacy. If there may ever be a translation, I recommend the text.

FINKIELKRAUT, Alain : Ich schweige nicht. Philosophische Anmerkungen zur Zeit. Aus dem Französischen von Rainer von SAVIGNY. München 2021 (first : À la Premiere Personne. Paris 2019)
FINKIELKRAUT (born 1949) (Ger., Eng.) is a not undisputed French intellectual, who shies not away from confrontations. In this autobiographical sketch he depicts his intellectual development. What I never ever will be able to understand is the fascination of Heidegger. For me he is just a jerk, a windbag of gigantic emptiness. But that’s seemingly just me.

SCHINDLER, Herbert (Ed.) : Bayern in Europa. München 1970 (Unbekanntes Bayern, 10)
This is a collection of radio programs on the topic of Bavarian history. The single contributions are authored by leading experts of the day. The whole thing is old fashioned, and highly entertaining. I should look for the other (at least) nine volumes. SCHINDLER (1923-2007) was an art historian, and from 1957 to 1973 editor at the Bavarian Broadcasting Company.

FORSTHUBER, Sabine : Moderne Raumkunst. Wiener Ausstellungsbauten von 1898 bis 1914. Wien 1991
Exhibitions bring their own problems regarding presentation, ameublement etc. How to use space ? This book depicts solutions found for these problems around 1900 in Vienna – top notch modern. This publication is based on FORSTHUBERs (born 1959) dissertation of the same title. She is lecturer for art history at the university of Vienna.

So far. All books back in the shelves.
I have nothing to read.

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