Johann Christian Dieterich

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Johann Christian Dieterich (born May 25, 1722 in Stendal ; † June 18, 1800 in Göttingen ) was a German bookseller and publisher , founder of the Dieterich'sche publishing house , and friend of Georg Christoph Lichtenberg .

Life

Dieterich was the son of a goldsmith from Stendal. Dieterich began his business activity as the owner of a silk goods store in Berlin , later in Gotha . In 1749 he married the daughter of the bookseller Mevius there and took over the Mevius'sche Buchhandlung. In 1760 he founded another bookstore in Göttingen, where in 1765 he became a university bookseller and in 1770 the bookstore added a printing company. In 1776 he moved entirely to Göttingen.

Dieterich became known as a close friend of Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. Lichtenberg lived and worked from 1776 until his death in 1799 in a house with Dieterich and his family, in close proximity to other distinguished students and their servants. Lectures were also held in the house.

The close friendship between Lichtenberg and Dieterich is evident from the extensive correspondence that has been preserved. During Lichtenberg's long travels he wrote letters to Dieterich and his wife regularly. The witty, often (self-) ironic letters are still extremely amusing to read today.

Well-known works published by Dieterich

  • Almanach de Gotha , Gotha 1764 or Gothaischer genealogical calendar , Gotha 1765, from 1775 with Justus Perthes in Gotha
  • Göttinger Taschen-Calender (1776–1800), in which Lichtenberg's commentaries on the works of William Hogarth appeared between 1784 and 1796 . From 1794 to 1799 Dieterich published an expanded version: Detailed explanation of the Hogarthic copperplate engravings, with reduced but complete copies of them by E. Riepenhausen
  • Göttingen Muses Almanac (1770–1803)

literature

Lichtenberg's letters to Dieterich
To person
Correspondence
  • Eduard Grisebach (Ed.): GC Lichtenberg's letters to Dieterich 1770–1798. Dieterich'sche Verlagbuchhandlung, Leipzig 1898 ( digitized version ).
  • Ulrich Joost (Ed.): My charming little money man: Gottfried August Bürgers correspondence with his publisher Dieterich . Wallstein, Göttingen 1988, ISBN 3-89244-002-6 .
  • Ulrich Joost (Ed.): The correspondence between Johann Christian Dieterich and Ludwig Christian Lichtenberg . Vandenhoeck & Rupprecht, Göttingen 1997, ISBN 3-525-82429-7
  • Elisabeth Willnat (Ed.): "Dearest, best, only friend". Memory of the publisher, printer and bookseller Johann Christian Dieterich (1722–1800) . Dieterich'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Mainz 2000, ISBN 3-87162-051-3 .

Remarks

  1. ↑ Dieterich's year of birth is 1722, not 1712 as stated in the Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie . His death in 1800 is recorded in the church register with the note "died at the age of 78" ".
  2. ↑ "Almanach de Gotha contenant diverse connoissances curieuses et utiles, pour l'Année MDCCLXV".
  3. ↑ “Gothaischer Hofkalender for the benefit and pleasure set up for the year 1765”.
  4. ↑ digitized version .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Dieterich, Johann Christian
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German bookseller and publisher
DATE OF BIRTH May 25, 1722
PLACE OF BIRTH Stendal
DATE OF DEATH June 18, 1800
Place of death Goettingen