Description

A substantial collection of vintage German-language Karl May books from the classic Bamberg editions, with colourful pictorial covers, decorative green bindings and gilt detailing.

This is a collection of 72 physical vintage Karl May volumes, primarily from the classic Karl May’s Gesammelte Werke series associated with the Bamberg editions.

 

 

These are the distinctive old green-and-gold Karl May books, with elaborate decorative bindings and colourful pictorial cover panels. The collection includes books bearing Karl-May-Bücherei Bamberg, Ustad-Verlag and Karl-May-Verlag markings, reflecting different publishing stages of the series.

A little publishing history

There is some fascinating history behind these particular editions.

Following the Second World War, Karl May’s works continued to be published from Bamberg in western Germany. In 1952, Ustad-Verlag was established in Bamberg and became involved in the continued publication and distribution of Karl May’s Gesammelte Werke. The publishing history later continued under the Karl-May-Verlag name in Bamberg.

The books in this collection reflect that history. They are not simply modern reprints, but examples of the vintage Bamberg editions that helped keep Karl May’s collected works in circulation during the post-war period.

Dating

Circa 1950s–1960s.

The collection contains various editions and printings from the 1950s and 1960s, including different Bamberg publishing and binding variants. Individual volumes have different printing dates, so the collection is described broadly as circa 1950s–1960s rather than assigned a single year.

Condition

The overall condition of the collection is very good.

The books are remarkably clean for their age. All bindings are tight and intact, with no seam splits, loose gatherings, or structural spine failures. The interiors are clean and intact, and the colourful pictorial plates on the front covers are clean and well preserved throughout the collection.

Some individual spines show normal rubbing, fading, or wear consistent with age and handling, and a few gilt title panels have some loss. There is some natural variation from volume to volume, but overall the books are tight, clean, structurally sound, and exceptionally well preserved for their age.

A note about the collection

This collection brings together 72 vintage Karl May volumes from the Gesammelte Werke series, including duplicate titles, different editions and binding variants from the Bamberg publishing tradition.

The variety of volumes and editions makes this an interesting collection in its own right, and the complete contents are listed below, with duplicate copies noted.

📖 Contents

1. Durch die Wüste
2. Durchs wilde Kurdistan
3. Von Bagdad nach Stambul
4. In den Schluchten des Balkan
5. Durch das Land der Skipetaren
6. Der Schut
7. Winnetou I
8. Winnetou II
9. Winnetou III
10. Sand des Verderbens
11. Sand des Verderbens — duplicate
12. Am stillen Ozean
13. Am Rio de la Plata
14. In den Kordilleren
15. Old Surehand I
16. Old Surehand II
17. Im Lande des Mahdi I
18. Im Lande des Mahdi II
19. Im Sudan
20. Kapitän Kaiman
21. Die Felsenburg
22. Krüger Bei
23. Satan und Ischariot
24. Auf fremden Pfaden
25. Weihnacht
26. Der Löwe der Blutrache
27. Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen
28. Im Banne des Mächtigen
29. Das versteinerte Gebet
30. Und Friede auf Erden
31. Ardistan
32. Der Mir von Dschinnistan
33. Winnetous Erben
34. „Ich“
35. Unter Geiern
36. Der Schatz im Silbersee
37. Der Ölprinz
38. Halbblut
39. Das Vermächtnis des Inka
40. Die Sklavenkarawane
41. Der Alte Dessauer
42. Aus dunklem Tann
43. Der Waldschwarze
44. Zepter und Hammer
45. Professor Vitzliputzli
46. Das Zauberwasser
47. Lichte Höhen
48. Schloss Rodriganda
49. Die Pyramide des Sonnengottes
50. Benito Juarez
51. Trapper Geierschnabel
52. Der sterbende Kaiser
53. Das Geheimnis des Marabut
54. Das Geheimnis des Marabut — duplicate
55. Der Spion von Ortry
56. Der Spion von Ortry — duplicate
57. Die Herren von Greifenklau
58. Die Herren von Greifenklau — duplicate
59. Allah il Allah!
60. Der Derwisch
61. Im Tal des Todes
62. Zobeljäger und Kosak
63. Das Buschgespenst
64. Der Fremde aus Indien
65. Der Peitschenmüller
66. Der Silberbauer
67. Der Wurzelsepp
68. Ritter und Rebellen
69. Der Waldläufer
70. Old Firehand
71. Schacht und Hütte
72. Der Habicht

A final note for collectors

One of the things that makes this collection particularly interesting is the consistency of its design. The green bindings, elaborate gilt ornament, decorative spines and colourful pictorial cover plates give the books a wonderfully cohesive appearance, even though the individual volumes come from different editions and printings.

There are also variations among the books, including different publisher markings, bindings and printing dates, reflecting the continuing publication of Karl May’s Gesammelte Werke through the 1950s and 1960s.

The collection also includes several duplicate volumes. These have been noted in the contents above so that the exact makeup of the lot is clear.

This is a substantial and visually striking group of circa-1950s–1960s German Karl May books, offered together as a collection — a fascinating lot for a Karl May reader, German-language book collector, vintage-book enthusiast, or anyone drawn to these beautifully designed old volumes.

72 physical volumes in total. Duplicates are included and have been noted above.

Please Note:

This collection is being offered as one complete lot and is not being divided or sold as individual volumes.

~See all of the pictures posted in the Gallery Area of this posting!~

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