bavarikon4UThe estate of Adalbert Stifter (1805-1868) – Cgm 7386, 7387 and Cgm 8065-8073
The Austrian poet and writer Adalbert Stifter is considered the most important poet of the Biedermeier era and a master of nature description (Der Hochwald, 1841; Der Nachsommer (Indian Summer), 1857; Witiko, 1865). Born in South Bohemian Oberplan, Stifter was educated at the Benedictine monastery in Kremsmünster. He then studied law and history in Vienna and worked as a tutor. His students included the son of the Austrian chancellor, Richard von Metternich. He published short stories from 1840. In 1848, Stifter moved to Linz, where he was appointed state school inspector in 1850. However, his ideas for school reform are not implemented. He died in Linz in 1868. Whether he committed suicide with a razor could not be completely clarified.
His most famous story to date, "Bergkristall" (Rock Crystal), was published in 1853 in the "Bunte Steine" (Colourful Stones) collection. In the preface to "Colourful Stones", Stifter defends himself against his critics, who accuse him of respecting only the small and insignificant things, and explains his views on the "soft law".
The Bayerische Staatsbibliothek not only owns almost all the first editions but also most of the handwritten sources on Adalbert Stifter. With the support of the Free State of Bavaria, fourteen manuscripts by the founder himself from the Salman Schocken Collection were acquired in 1964. Among them are the print templates for the two volumes of the "Colourful Stones" as well as two sets of working notes on the stories.
The estate consists of 17 volumes. This includes manuscripts of the stories: Das alte Siegel, Brigitta, Der Hagestolz (The Bachelors), Der Waldsteig, Zwei Schwestern, Der beschriebene Tännling, Bunte Steine (Colourful Stones), Der Nachsommer (Indian Summer), fragments of stories ("discarded sheets"), album sheets and memorabilia.
The estate is kept under the signatures Cgm 7386 Cgm 7386 – 7387, 7387 a, 8065 – 8073 (cf. also Ringseisiana 1,8, 8.1, 8a, 22. VII, A, 4,6).
>> This estate belongs to the collection of estates from the holdings of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library).