Brockhaus Enzyklopädie

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Brockhaus Konversations-Lexikon, 1902

The Brockhaus Enzyklopädie is a German-language encyclopedia published by Brockhaus.

The first edition originated in the Conversations-Lexikon mit vorzüglicher Rücksicht auf die gegenwärtigen Zeiten by Renatus Gotthelf Löbel and Christian Wilhelm Franke, published in Leipzig 1796-1808. Paralleling other 18th century encyclopedias, the scope was expanded beyond that of earlier publications, in an effort to become comprehensive. This Lexikon included geography, history, and in part biography, as well as the more typical mythology, philosophy, natural history, and so on.

The rights to the publication were bought by Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus in 1808. He paid 1,800 thalers. Thirteen editions were issued during the 19th century. The articles, often very brief, were considered excellent and trustworthy, especially on German subjects, gave references to the best books, and included biographies of living men.

"No work of reference has been more useful and successful, or more frequently copied, imitated and translated, than that known as the Conversations-Lexikon of Brockhaus," wrote the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica. The work was intended, not for scientific use, but to promote general intellectual improvement by giving the results of research and discovery in a simple and popular form without extended details. This format, a contrast to the Encyclopædia Britannica, was widely imitated by later 19th century encyclopedias in Britain and the United States. The seventh edition of the Conversations-Lexikon formed the basis of the Encyclopedia Americana (1829-1833), the first significant American encyclopedia.

Brockhaus at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2005

At first the name of the encyclopedia remained Konversationslexikon or Allgemeine deutsche Real-Encyklopädie für die gebildeten Stände; only with the 13th edition did the name Brockhaus appear in the title, and the present edition is titled Brockhaus Enzyklopädie.

The current 21st edition contains about 300,000 entries on 24,000 pages, with about 35,000 maps, graphics and tables. It is the largest German language printed encyclopedia in the 21st century.

1 Early editors
2 Edition history
3 See also
4 References

[edit] Early editors

Christian Wilhelm Franke was to finish vol. vi of the Leipzig publication by December 1808, and the already projected supplement, in 2 volumes, by 1811. Brockhaus himself edited the 2nd edition (1812-1819, 10 vols.), and, when vol. iv was published, the 3rd (1814-1819). Dr. Ludwig Ham assisted in editing the 4th and 5th editions until he left Leipzig in April 1820, when Professor F.C. Hasse took his place. Brockhaus died in 1823, and his two eldest sons, Friedrich and Heinrich, edited the 6th edition with Hasse's assistance in September 1823. Hasse edited the 7th edition. Dr. Karl August Espe edited the 8th and 9th editions.

Dr. August Kurtzel, aided by Oskar Pilz, edited the 10th edition, assisted by Heinrich Edward Brockhaus, and Heinrich Rudolf Brockhaus, the younger son, assisted in the 11th edition. Kurtzel died on April 24, 1871, and Pilz was sole editor until March 1872, when Dr. Gustav Stockmann joined, who was alone from April until joined by Dr. Karl Wippermann in October.