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864 - Nietzscheana – Dite Collection
See original version (German)

Estimate €1,800 - €2,400
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Description
Nietzscheana – Dite Collection Nietzsche, Friedrich Untimely Meditations. 4 parts in one volume. Leipzig, Fritzsch, 1873 and 1874 (Parts 1–2) and Schloss-Chemnitz, Schmeitzner, 1874 (Part 3) and jointly with London, Wohlauer, 1876 (Part 4). 1 leaf (title page), 101 (1, publisher’s note) pp. pp. (III)–(VI), 111 (1, publisher’s note) 113 (1, publisher’s note) pp. and 98 pp. Original half-leather binding with leather corners; spine bearing a gold-embossed calligraphic title with volume number; covers bound in Kiebitz paper, endpapers of patterned paper and edges printed on the reverse with a comb-marbled design (spine expertly and almost imperceptibly restored at the head and in the lower section; slightly rubbed). Complete set of all four volumes of the ‘Betrachtungen’ in first edition, in what is likely a unique publisher’s binding. - Schaberg 23a, 25a, 26 and 27. - Schaberg, *All Things Nietzsche*, Cat. 16, pp. 10–16. - Borst Collection 3194. - Jacobi, p. 51. - Volpi, pp. 758ff. - WNB 350, 352, 362 and 367. - Wilpert-Gühring 2, 4–6. - Zimmermann 21–24. - All four published ‘pieces’ from a publication project originally planned by Nietzsche to comprise 13 texts on the social, philosophical, religious and economic issues of the time. Contains: 1) David Strauss: the Confessor and the Writer. 2) On the Use and Abuse of History for Life. 3) Schopenhauer as Educator. 4) Richard Wagner in Bayreuth. – 1,000 copies (or 1,500 of Part 4) of each first edition were printed by C. G. Naumann in Leipzig. Even after several years, only a few hundred of each had been sold. The remaining stocks were bought or repurchased by Naumann from Nietzsche’s publishers Fritzsch and Schmeitzner following their respective bankruptcies, and distributed as new editions (with the publisher’s details covered, the publisher’s stamp applied or new title pages inserted), which is why copies with the original, unaltered title pages, as seen here, are much rarer than the print run figures would suggest. - The serif-rich typeface used for the gold-embossed spine title corresponds to that used for the calico binding—documented as the publisher’s binding—of the first edition of *The Birth of Tragedy* (1872) published by Fritzsch. Only a very few copies of this edition are likely to have been supplied by the publisher as shown here; slightly less rare are copies in a publisher’s paperback of various colours, featuring a cover title matching the title print and a simple border. However, most known copies of *Betrachtungen* have been rebound. - No other copy with this original binding has been documented at auction. Not in Nietzsche’s library at the HAAB in Weimar, nor in the libraries of the Nietzsche Documentation Centre in Naumburg/Saale or the Nietzsche House in Sils Maria. - As is often the case, the loose sheet containing ‘Corrections’ enclosed with Part 1 is missing, as are the final sheet with the printer’s note in Part 4 and the second endpaper at the back. Volumes 1 and 2 are uniformly foxed; Volume 4 is slightly foxed and shows the slight browning typical of the paper throughout; otherwise clean. First editions, first printings of the complete set of all four volumes of Nietzsche’s *Unzeitgemäße Betrachtungen*, in a particularly rare publisher’s binding. - For references, see above. - All four published parts of a publication project originally planned by Nietzsche to comprise 13 essays, addressing social, philosophical, religious and economic issues of the time. Contains: 1) David Strauss: The Confessor and the Writer. 2) On the Use and Abuse of History for Life. 3) Schopenhauer as Educator. 4) Richard Wagner in Bayreuth. - 1,000 copies (and 1,500 of part 4 respectively) of each first edition were printed by C. G. Naumann in Leipzig. Even after several years, only a few hundred copies of each had been sold. The remainder was sold and/or repurchased by Nietzsche’s publishers Fritzsch and Schmeitzner following their respective bankruptcies and finally by Naumann, and distributed as reissued editions (with the publisher’s details covered by a new label, the actual publisher’s stamp or new title pages), which is why copies with the original, unaltered title pages, such as this one, are much rarer than the print run figures would suggest. - Binding: Original publisher’s half-leather binding with leather corners; the spine bears a gilt calligraphic title and volume number; the boards are covered with plover-marbled paper; endpapers of block-printed paper; the edges feature fore-edge printing in a combed marbled design (the spine has been expertly and almost imperceptibly restored at the capitals and towards the bottom; slightly rubbed). The serif-rich typeface used for the gilt title on the spine corresponds to that used for the original publisher’s calico binding of the first edition of *Die Geburt der Tragödie* (1872). It is likely that only a very small number of copies of this edition were supplied by the publisher in this form; slightly less rare are copies in the publisher’s wrappers of various colours, with a cover title matching the title printing framed by a simple border. However, most known copies have been rebound. - No other copy with this original binding is documented at auction, nor in Nietzsche’s library at the HAAB in Weimar, nor in the libraries of the Nietzsche Documentation Centre in Naumburg/Saale or the Nietzsche-Haus in Sils Maria. - As is often the case, the loose leaf containing ‘Berichtigungen’ enclosed with Part 1 is missing, as is the last leaf of Part 4 bearing the printer’s remark, as well as the second rear endpaper. Parts 1 and 2 show foxing throughout; part 4 is slightly stained and shows light browning throughout, typical of this edition; otherwise, it is a clean, highly collectable set.
See original version (German)
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
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Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
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