Durch die Wüste
Eine Geschichte, dem Volke und der Jugend erzählt
by W. O. von Horn, W. Derkel
Verlag von Carl Hirsch, Ca. 1901, Konstanz
[English Translation]
Through the Desert.
A Story, Told to the People and the Youth
By W. O. Von Horn. (W. Derkel.)
New Illustrated Edition with Four Color Prints.
Constance (Germany).
Published by Carl Hirsch.
Emmishofen (Switzerland).
CONDITION:
Good (G). The cloth over boards are bowed, edgeworn, and rubbed. The spine is rubbed. The hinges and joints are Good. The text block and pages are significantly toned. The endpapers are toned and bear a price written in.
ATTRIBUTES:
Illustrated edition. Hardcover. No dust jacket. Bound in cloth over boards. This is an antiquarian book that has had a long and illustrious journey through time. Please take a look at the pictures to ascertain the condition of this item.
DESCRIPTION:
W. O. von Horn, whose real name was Friedrich Wilhelm Philipp Oertel, was a German evangelical pastor and a prolific writer of popular and youth literature. Born in 1798, he spent his early years in Horn, Hunsrück, where his father and grandfather had served as pastors. He is known for his adventure stories and edited the calendar "Die Spinnstube." His background as a pastor and a writer for a broad audience suggests that his works, including "Durch die Wüste," would have aimed to entertain while potentially imparting moral or educational messages, a common characteristic of popular literature during his time.
For collectors, a book by W. O. von Horn holds interest due to his significant role as a German popular and youth author of the 19th century. His works were widely read and contributed to the literary landscape for younger audiences. The historical context of such a book, aimed at both adults and youth, provides insight into the popular narratives and educational values of the era. As a work of fiction by a notable author in this genre, it represents a piece of German literary history and a testament to the enduring appeal of adventure stories.
FLASHBACK TO 1901 WHEN THIS BOOK WAS PUBLISHED:
When this book was published in 1901, the world mourned Queen Victoria's death, marking the end of an era, while the Anglo-Boer War continued to rage in South Africa and Marconi's transatlantic wireless signal promised a new age of communication. Germany, under Kaiser Wilhelm II, was a rising industrial and military power, and Konstanz, nestled in the heart of Europe, felt the distant tremors of these global shifts even as the city itself was a hub of regional commerce and intellectual life, with figures like W. O. von Horn, a respected local author, contributing to its cultural fabric. This was a year of profound change and nascent modernity, a vibrant time for any collector of historical texts.
Page Count: 96
Location: ABS-1-3-004