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534 - Gustave SILBERMANN (1801–1876), an Alsatian printer.
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Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
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Description
Gustave SILBERMANN (1801–1876), an Alsatian printer. Autograph manuscript, ‘Daily Notes on the Events of 1870 in Strasbourg’; 58 pages, in-4, in 2 quires. A very interesting day-by-day account of the siege of Strasbourg. The Strasbourg printer Gustave Silbermann was a first-hand witness to the events of the siege, which he recounts in this carefully written manuscript, complete with added marginal notes and a few inserted press cuttings (from the *Courrier du Bas-Rhin*). Silbermann gives a daily account, in great detail, of the bombardments, destruction, fires, fighting, the dead and wounded, difficulties with the postal service and food supplies, etc. Numerous military commanders are mentioned, as well as many locations in Strasbourg and neighbouring villages. The account begins on 5 August and ends on 5 October. We can quote only a few characteristic extracts. In early August, there were tragic skirmishes in the surrounding area. ‘On the 11th, the city was completely blockaded. […] On the 13th, the enemy fired a few shells at the city. They fell in the suburb of Saverne, wounding a townsman, his wife and his child – all three of whom were injured; they also shattered a lamppost. A large number of foreigners were expelled from the city’”… The shelling intensified: ‘The night of the 23rd to the 24th [August] was terrible. Around 9.00 pm the shelling began and continued until morning with extreme violence. A very large number of houses were damaged. Several fires broke out, but they were brought under control. The towers of St Thomas’s Church were hit three times by shells. Its square tower even caught fire, but a few citizens managed to put it out. […] The night of the 24th to the 25th was even more dreadful; in addition to the shells raining down by the thousands, incendiary bombs were also dropped. A great many houses and buildings were burnt down, including the Aubette with the Art Museum, the Temple-Neuf church, the City Libraries and the Protestant Seminary Library, part of the Protestant Gymnasium, the Courthouse with all its archives, the Cercle du Broglie, and so on and so forth. It is utter desolation; these are irreparable losses, especially the libraries, which contained precious, unique manuscripts, works of great value, all the court records, some fine paintings in the Art Museum, and several statues have been lost, etc. One cannot comprehend such acts of vandalism. The cannons in the square thunder all night long in an attempt to destroy the formidable batteries the enemy has managed to erect; but they are unable to do so’… Organisation of a ‘fire watch association’, the workings of which Silbermann explains; he adds: ‘Apart from this organisation, every house still had a number of watchmen. The *Courrier du Bas-Rhin* of the 26th and 27th could not be published, as the typesetters for this newspaper had not turned up at the workshops. But I always had at least twenty other workers taking turns so as never to leave the building unmanned. These brave people were full of dedication.’ Etc. On 15 September, the evacuation of the elderly, women and children took place, thanks to ‘the generous intervention of Switzerland […] At 10 am, the city gate was opened and the procession set off. It was a moving moment: how many tears were shed! The convoy consisted of 800 people’… Silbermann’s wife was able to leave the town on the 16th; on the morning of the 17th, ‘the second convoy of people seeking refuge in Switzerland set off. Among the elderly, there were certainly a few who were feigning old age. I went to see off each of these convoys’… On the 18th: ‘There is great agitation in the town; numerous meetings are taking place in which the possibility of holding the town any longer is being discussed, as breaches are beginning to be made in our ramparts; we know that a large number of our cannons have been dismantled, and prolonged resistance seems impossible. On the other hand, rumours of impending unrest are circulating. As the city was being closed off, thousands of people of all sorts entered the city. It is estimated that the population has increased by at least 20,000 people, amongst whom there are many vagrants’; disastrous news is arriving from Paris… The city finally surrendered on 28 September, and the Prussians entered it. On 1 October, Silbermann visited the cathedral: ‘Many of the old stained-glass windows, so precious, have suffered damage; however, a number of them were dismantled in time and taken to safety. […] the great Silbermann organ is badly damaged; the main pipes are pierced and bent, and the entire upper section is shattered”, etc. Silbermann mocks the ‘policy of leniency’ promised by the occupying forces; he takes stock of the bombardments, estimating that 200,000 shells fell on Strasbourg. He concludes his account on 2 October as follows: “Two enormous flags were hoisted today on the turrets of the Cathedral, one in the colours of Germany—black, red and white—and the other in the Prussian colours—black and white. Today, Sunday, the city is teeming with people; it is barely possible to get through in some streets; first and foremost, there are thousands of soldiers from all branches of the armed forces; then endless numbers of Alsatian country folk; and finally, hordes of people from Baden who have come to admire the exploits of their compatriots – that is to say, our ruins. As for the people of Strasbourg, they are gloomy and dejected, yet more French than ever. May God protect us!”
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About the sale Letters and Autograph Manuscripts – Part II
Auction location
Auction time 10/14/2026 at 2:00 PM
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