Fritz Baedeker
Fritz Baedeker (born December 4, 1844 in Koblenz , † April 9, 1925 in Leipzig ) was a German publisher . As the youngest of three sons of the author and publisher Karl Baedeker , he ran his father's publishing house from 1869 until his death.
Life
Fritz Baedeker attended grammar school in Koblenz until 1863 and then studied at Heidelberg University , where he became a member of Corps Vandalia in 1864 . He moved to the University of Berlin. In 1866 he became a volunteer gunner in the 1st Cavalry Battery of the Guards Field Artillery Regiment and took part in the Battle of Sadowa . He then started an apprenticeship as a bookseller in Geneva. On March 1, 1869, he became a partner in his father's publishing house alongside his brother Karl . The two brothers gave up their father's bookstore in 1870 and relocated the publishing house to Leipzig in 1872. As managing directors, they concentrated entirely on the publishing house and expanding the range of travel guides . After Karl left the company for health reasons in 1878, Fritz took over the management of the publishing house on his own.
In 1873 he married in Koblenz Flöry (Florentine) Landfermann (1849-1916), daughter of the school councilor Dietrich Wilhelm Landfermann and Louise Winter. From this marriage there were 5 children. His sons Ernst (1878–1948), Dietrich (1886–1969) and Hans (1874–1959) continued to run the publishing house after his death. His other son Karl (1877–1914) was a physicist.
Fritz Baedeker was buried in the Leipzig South Cemetery (VI. Department).
travel Guide
The rise of tourism also revived the guide business . Due to the increased demands of travelers for information about foreign countries, the meticulously produced books by Baedeker became a great sales success. The increased amount of travel information in the books now called for the factual, concise “Baedeker style”. The precision and variety of the maps has also been improved. The travel guides were often published in other languages such as English and French in addition to the German edition .
The great upswing of the company under Fritz Baedeker came to an abrupt end with the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.
Awards
In 1909, on the occasion of its 500th anniversary , the University of Leipzig awarded Fritz Baedeker an honorary doctorate (Dr. phil. Hc).
Publications
Published under the direction of Fritz Baedeker a. a. the following travel guides:
- Sweden and Norway (1879, digitized 4th edition of the English edition, 1889, PDF )
- Russia , 1883
- North America , 1893
- Canada , 1894
- Spain and Portugal , 1897
- Constantinople and Asia Minor , 1905
- Mediterranean Sea , 1909
- India , 1914
literature
- Hans Lülfing : Baedeker, Fritz. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 1, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1953, ISBN 3-428-00182-6 , p. 516 ( digitized version ).
- L. Laurence Boyle: Fritz Baedeker . In Reiseleben Heft 10, 1985, pp. 2-5 ( online ).
- Alex W. Hinrichsen: Baedeker's Travel Guides 1832–1990. Bibliography 1832-1944; Listing 1948-1990. History of the publishing house . 2nd Edition. 2008, pp. 31-35. 49 ( digitized version ).
Remarks
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Baedeker, Fritz |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German publisher |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 4th December 1844 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Koblenz |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 9, 1925 |
| Place of death | Leipzig |