Karl Baedeker

Karl Baedeker (born with Essen in on November 3rd, 1801 and died in Coblentz on October 4th, 1859 is a Libraire and German writer which was made known by inventing the modern guide of the traveller.

Biography

Initially, Baedeker is satisfied to translate the guides of the British John Murray; it joins him and ends up supplanting it in this sector around the Années 1870.

It revolutionizes then the world of the guide of voyage while developing the format " of poche" (hitherto, indeed, the guides intended for the travellers were true encyclopedias, often richly illustrated and which, consequently, was addressed only to one restricted public). The Baedeker guides as for them weigh less than 500 grams; the superfluous illustrations yield the place to many charts of the cities and visited places.

Baedeker also gathers its guides in a true collection equipped with an visual identity: a Binding in red fabric with the Lettering gilded. Lastly, it sticks to the regular update of information and also proposes a translation in multiple languages.

The great interest of this collection, at the time, was to present the eases of transport which the rail brought. Baedeker develops a remarkable organization: for each title of the collection, a coordinator is named, itself assisted of collaborators having each one a definitely defined function. Karl writes most of the guides and re-examines all the titles before their publication.

The success of these guides was immediate: Baedeker becomes synonymous with precision and clearness, so much so that during the Second world war, the pilots of the German army will have recourse there.

Today, these guides are very required by the collectors.

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