The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-28
The City of Books.

There is something touching in the terms
in which the printers of Leipsic, in the year
1910, expressed their intention to celebrate
the bi-centenary of the invention of printing.
Germany was then in the depths of woe and
devastation on account of the Thlrty-years
War, but nevertheless they resolved to have
Jubilee, 'to thank God for this benefit, and in
friendly talk to take drink and frugal meal
in stiffness" Leipsic, though always an i'm
portant citadel of the book trade, did not,
hewever, enjoy its present metropolitan dig
nifty till the year 1765, when Nicolai and
few other leading booksellers agreed on &C
count Of certain vexatious restrictions at
Frankfort to remove the central mart from
that place. At the same time they laid the
basis of booksellers association at Leipsic,
which, not successful for time, was after
wards, in 1926, consolidated and ex-
tended, and now numbers about
1000 members. The handsome builc ing called
the Booksellers Exchange, opened in 1886,
is the financial headquarters of this associa-
ton. Here, at the time of the great fairs,
especially of the Easter fair, lively spectacle
may be witnessed Hundreds of booksellers
throng the great hall discussing and dissent
mating literary intelligence, while in the lesser
hall counters are laid out displaying speoi-
mems of new works in German and foreign
literature. The strictly financial business,
which used to be the chief motive for the re-
union, is now managed through the medium
of the commissioners, and the principals
themselves thereby obtain more time for the
cultivation of social and other amusements
on the occasion of their periodical visits than
in former days. The Commissioner" in the
Leipsic book trade are an institution of great
importance. They are the general agents for
distant firms At the Great Easter Fair the
commissioner receives or disburses the requi-
site sums on behalf of his employers. 1t is
stated that in 1867 as many as 130, 600 cwt. of
books were despatched from Leipsic, and
probably as many came in. Since then the
number has considerably increased.
AS to the amount of actual publishing
work done in Leipsic, we learn, from the
German statistical account before us, that it
amounts to about one-sixth of that done in
all Germany, including Prussia and Austria.
Thus in 1868 twelve thousand works were
published in Germany (4300 was the number
for England in the same year) of these about
2000 would be the number emanating from
Leipsic. Berlin stands next to Leipsic in
publishing importance, and claims about one
eighth of the annual contributions to German
literature. In the number of newspapers
and journals published, Berlin exceeds Leip-
sic; this is natural considering the political
Importance of the former as the Prussian
capital.
All the branches of industry auxiliary to
the making of books flourish in Leipsic
Forty seven printing establishments now
exist in Leipsic and its suburbs, employing
| 1000 journeymen, 800 apprentices, and ACC
women. Within the last ten years, too, there
has been great improvement in the book
| binding trade.
Leipsic is the principal centre for musical
publications, not only in Germany, but
| throughout the musical world. There are
| twenty nine publishers in this department, oi
which the firm of Breitkopt and Hartel stands
| highest. Roder's, which is the greatest house
for musical note engraving, keeps 14O persons
| at work. The second-hand or antiquarian
business is very important. There are sir
| leading secondhand firms, we'll known fal
beyond the limits of Germany, to each OF
which appertain immense warehouses, shelter
| ing something like million volumes. The
classed catalogues issued by these six frmi
| form feature of great interest in the literary
| world
Leipsic counts at the present time about
| 25S bookselling firms, having connection with
| $500 houses out of Leipsic. The personal staf1
they employ amounts to from 800 to 9OC
persons.
There are two other institutions connected
| with the trade which deserve mention, and
| which are localized in the precincts of this
Booksellers Exchange. These are:-1, the
school for booksellers apprentices, which
was attended by seventy-nine scholars last
year. 1t is designed to give scientific and
technical training appropriate to the objects
of the trade. 2. The business post Office oi
the Leipsic book trade-a chef d'ea0re Of
practical organization and unremitting &C
| tivity.