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Bavaria. Regional studies and folklore of the kingdom of Bavaria.

The "Bavaria" is a description of the kingdom of Bavaria that appeared between 1860 and 1867. It addresses the geographic area, folklore and history of the eight (administrative) districts of Bavaria. It was commissioned by King Maximilian II. of Bavaria (1848-1864) and edited by the cultural historian Wilhelm Heinrich (von) Riehl (1823-1897). The Bavaria is an important ethnological source.

History

Since the end of the 18th century there had been plans for a comprehensive historical-topographical-statistical description of Bavaria. Such projects were not only fostered by King Maximilian II. (1848-1864), but the King was keenly interested in the people's culture and even contributed some new impulses regarding content.

Still as crown prince in 1846 Maximilian commissioned the painter and author Joseph Friedrich Lentner Still as crown prince in 1846 Maximilian commissioned the painter and author Eduard Fentsch (1814-1877). In 1854 the cultural historian Wilhelm Heinrich (von) Riehl (1823-1897) took over the work on the ethnography on orders of the King. Upon the King's request the concept was broadened in 1856 and under the direction of Riehl a comprehensive, systematic representation of the regional studies and folklore of Bavaria was produced.

Such comprehensive work could no longer be coped with by one single person. Therefore an omnibus work was produced, to which around 50 scholars contributed. With the support of Felix Dahn (1834-1912) Riehl acted as editor of the volumes published between 1860 and 1867. As editor Riehl was not responsible for matters of content, meaning that he was unable to leave his mark on the work to such an extent as he had wished to. The overview of the statistical, topographical and historical characteristics of the complete country that was announced for the last volume in the prefix to the first volume was not completed.

Structure

The Bavaria was published in four volumes with two partial volumes each, thus in a total of eight volumes. The content itself is divided into fourteen books.

The administrative districts of Bavaria that existed at the time are described, the description of each district being subdivided into three parts: Scientific account, Folklore and Brief local history. Within the framework of the three parts a number of issues were treated following a fixed scheme that was changed only infrequently:

Scientific account:

  • Geognostic structure
  • Basic climate
  • Vegetation
  • Fauna

Folklore:

  • Introduction
  • Statistics
  • Historical and artistic monuments
  • Houses and dwellings
  • Folk tales
  • Dialect
  • Customs
  • Regional costume
  • Food
  • Widespread diseases and traditional medicine
  • Gainful activities (agriculture, mining, industry, trade, commerce)
  • History of popular education and teaching

Brief local history:

  • General part
  • Big cities (if applicable)
  • Individual regional courts

In the division of the work into books (which is not identical to the division into volumes) the folklore and local history of each district was summed up to form one book, whereas the scientific account formed a book of its own. Whereas there was respectively one book for the folklore and local history of each district, however, the scientific account did not orient itself on the division into districts, but on natural divisions of areas, so that there are only six books: For the districts of Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria and Swabia only one scientific account was written, the parts of Swabia and Lower Bavaria that are situated north of the Danube were taken account of in other books. For the Franconian districts a number of scientific and ethnologic accounts were written for Franconia as a whole. The author of the concluding book on the Palatinate omitted the representation of the individual towns and regional courts in the brief local history.

Topographisch-statistisches Handbuch des Königsreichs Bayern

The "Topographisch-statistisches Handbuch des Königreichs Bayern" ("Topographic-statistical handbook of the kingdom of Bavaria") is regarded as the fifth volume of the Bavaria series. It was written independently and had nothing to do with Riehl, but was considered as a "supplement" of the Bavaria from the start. It is therefore regularly included as volume V of the Bavaria. The topographical-statistical handbook was the first of its kind ever written on Bavaria. It contains statistical data and descriptions of Bavaria, the districts, the district authorities and the regional courts. For the first time the book also provided an alphabetical list of all Bavarian locations. The book was written by Bavarian officers.

Overview of volumes

  • Volume I: Upper Bavaria and Lower Bavaria
    Erste Abtheilung - Part one (1860)
    First book: Scientific account of the Bavarian southern Danube area
    Second book: Upper Bavaria [folklore]
    Zweite Abtheilung - Part two (1860)
    Second book: Upper Bavaria [brief local history]
    Third book: Lower Bavaria [folklore, brief local history]
  • Volume II: Upper Palatinate and Regensburg. Swabia and Neuburg
    Erste Abtheilung: Oberpfalz und Regensburg - Part one: Upper Palatinate and Regensburg (1863)
    Fourth book: Scientific account of the mountain range forming the border of eastern Bavaria
    Fifth book: Upper Palatinate and Regensburg [folklore, brief local history]
    Zweite Abtheilung: Schwaben und Neuburg - Part two: Swabia and Neuburg (1863)
    Sixth book: Swabia and Neuburg [climate, folklore, brief local history]
  • Volume III: Upper Franconia. Middle Franconia
    Erste Abtheilung: Oberfranken - Part one: Upper Franconia (1865)
    Seventh book: Scientific account of the Upper Franconian area
    Eighth book: Upper Franconia [folklore, brief local history]
    Zweite Abtheilung: Mittelfranken - Part two: Middle Franconia (1865)
    Ninth book: Nature studies of the Middle Franconian area [without climate and fauna]
    Tenth book: Middle Franconia [folklore, brief local history]
  • Volume IV
    Erste Abtheilung: Unterfranken und Aschaffenburg - Part one: Lower Franconia and Aschaffenburg (1866)
    Eleventh book: Conclusion of the scientific account of the Franconian areas [without climate and fauna]
    Twelfth book: Lower Franconia and Aschaffenburg [folklore, brief local history]
    Zweite Abtheilung: Bayerische Rheinpfalz - Part two: Bavarian Rhenish Palatinate (1867)
    Thirteenth book: Scientific account of the Rhenish Palatinate
    Fourteenth book: Rhenish Palatinate [folklore, brief local history]
  • Volume V: Topographical-statistical handbook of the kingdom of Bavaria, with alphabetical encyclopaedia of locations
    Erste Abtheilung - Part one
    Administrative district of Upper Bavaria
    Administrative district of Lower Bavaria
    Administrative district of Upper Palatinate and Regensburg
    Zweite Abtheilung - Part two
    Administrative district of Upper Franconia
    Administrative district of Middle Franconia
    Administrative district of Lower Franconia and Aschaffenburg
    Regierungsbezirk Schwaben und Neuburg
    Regierungsbezirk Pfalz
    Dritte Abtheilung - Part three
    Alphabetical register of locations
    Alphabetical register of all Bavarian waters
  • Map volume, 1866
    Map of Bavaria (without Rhenish Palatinate)

Scholarly importance

There is no work succeeding the Bavaria as a comprehensive scientific-ethnologic-historical description of all Bavarian administrative districts. The Bavaria still is of academic importance for ethnology, since it was the first work providing a comprehensive ethnologic account – dwelling places, clothes/ traditional attire, dialect, diet, folk tales – of all Bavarian regions. These parts are largely based on the results of Lentner's field investigations, whose account was strongly revised by Felix Dahn (see I, 1 page 278-279). Influenced by the Brothers Grimm, Dahn regarded folk tales and customs as remnants of heathen-Germanic traditions with a Christian overlay. Since the Bavaria as a practically official description of the country had a broad effect, it introduced this theory - which has meanwhile been proven wrong - to the broad public. Accordingly, the Bavaria does not only represent an ethnologic source, but it also influenced and changed the object under study at the same time.

>> This collection is part of the holding of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library)