Karl Rauch, his publishing house and his art and bookshop in Dessau.
Lecture by Bernd Mühling, Markkleeberg
The businessman and publisher Karl Rauch (1897-1966) opened an art and bookshop in Dessau in 1921, which remained present in the city until its destruction in 1945. At the end of July 1923, he attached a book publishing house to the Kunst- und Bücherstube, the Karl Rauch Verlag. Although there were projects to move the publishing house to Berlin, Munich or Leipzig, they were all short-lived. This was probably due to the wide circle of supporters who stood by him in Dessau. The list of his numerous supporters in Dessau is headed by Hugo Junkers and his wife. A very personal relationship developed with both of them. In addition to Junkers, many other important personalities in Dessau in those years maintained contact with Karl Rauch and came to the readings he organised.
After moving his publishing house to Markkleeberg near Leipzig in 1937, Karl Rauch began to expand the publishing programme. He published contemporary authors from Germany, for example the complete works of Eugen Gottlob Winkler.
This was followed by translations of authors from France, including the first title by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars, in 1939.
From Dessau there were further editions of this book from 1940 onwards. During the bombing of Dessau on 7 March 1945, the publishing house and warehouse perished.After the war, Rauch resumed the publishing business. In 1948, he first moved to Boppard on the Rhine, then in 1949 Düsseldorf became the publishing headquarters, where “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was published in 1950. This year the publishing house celebrates its 100th anniversary in Düsseldorf.
The lecture by Bernd Mühling recalls the work of the publisher Karl Rauch with the help of numerous photos and documents that have never been shown to a larger group of people. This is an event organised by the Verein für Anhaltische Landeskunde. It will take place on Thursday, 12 October 2023, 7 p.m. at Archivverbund Dessau, Heidestraße 21 (Alter Wasserturm). Admission is free.
