Adolf Asher
Adolf Asher (actually Abraham Isaac Ascher ; born August 23, 1800 in Cammin in Pomerania , † September 1, 1853 in Venice ) was a German bookseller, antiquarian , publisher and bibliographer .
life and work
He attended the grammar school for the gray monastery in Berlin . After graduating from high school, he stayed in England as a trader for a few years and then went to St. Petersburg , where he traded in diamonds . When by chance a book collection came into his possession, he settled in Berlin and in 1830 founded a bookstore in the house next door to Friedrich August Herbig with branches in London and Saint Petersburg. With his exceptional language skills and good business connections, he promoted the exchange of literature between Germany and abroad.
His knowledge of bibliography and the New Hebrew language and literature was recognized. Adolf Asher wrote several bibliographical works. In 1840 his bookstore became a major supplier to the British Museum of Foreign Language Books. Only the wars in the 20th century interrupted this business relationship. Also in 1840, supported by well-known scholars, he published a critical edition of Benjamin von Tudela's travelogues in London and Berlin .
At times he was a member of the board of directors of the Jewish community in Berlin . In 1853 he died while traveling in Venice. His bookstore was continued by Albert Cohn and in 1874 came into the possession of Adolf Behrend and Leonhard Simion.
Fonts
- Bibliographical essay on the collection of voyages and travels by L. Hulsius . Berlin 1839
- Bibliographical essay on the Scriptores rerum germanicarum . Berlin 1843
- Itinerary of R. Benjamin of Tudela . 2 vols. Berlin 1840
literature
- Otto Mühlbrecht: Asher, Adolf . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 1, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1875, p. 619.
- Jacob Jacobson : The Jewish Citizens' Books of the City of Berlin 1809-1851 . Walter de Gruyter & Co., ISBN 3-11-000448-8 , pp. 241-242
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ British Library Slavonic and East European Collections (English) ( Memento of May 9, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Libraries in the British Isles and Their German Holdings (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Asher, Adolf |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ascher, Abraham Isaac |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Bookseller |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 23 August 1800 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cammin , Pomerania |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 1, 1853 |
| Place of death | Venice |