Also this year lovers of rare books have to do without their industry meeting at the beginning of the year.

The ongoing pandemic has prompted the Association of German Antiquarians to forego the physical trade fair from February 18th to 20th in Stuttgart.

And Petra Bewer, organizer of the Ludwigsburg Antiquaria planned for February 17th to 19th, has also canceled her fair.

So it remains to look at two well-stocked catalogues, the titles of which are already available from antiquarian bookshops.

The Stuttgart trade fair also has a digital presence, which will be activated on February 18th.

The catalog of the Stuttgart Antiquarian Book Fair brings together the offers of 69 international participants.

In addition to books, there are autographs, artistic graphics and photographs.

Anyone interested in the elite class of the antiquarian book trade has the choice between four illuminated parchment manuscripts, which are priced in the six-figure range.

At the top is the book of hours of Le Goux de La Berchère, made around 1420 in Paris by the master of the Munich Legenda Aurea, for 970,000 euros.

The work is in near-perfect condition and, after two decades in a private collection, is offered by Les Enluminures gallery in Paris.

Heribert Tenschert is offering two books of hours that were once in Edmond de Rothschild's collection of medieval manuscripts.

The Hours of Françoise de Bellecombe was created in Paris at the end of the 15th century and contains 103 miniatures by the Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse (680,000 euros).

The second book of hours with eleven large miniatures was created around 1420 in Amiens and was given to Catherine de Medici in 1581 as a wedding present for Marguerite de Lorraine and Antoine de Joyeuse, as evidenced by the contemporary, well-preserved binding (480,000).

Another manuscript on parchment is offered by Dr.

Jörn Günther from Basel.

In the work, Jean Bouchet reports on the life of Saint Radegund.

A direct speech by the French king reveals that

Autograph collectors get their money's worth at JA Stargardt from Berlin.

The house offers a unique piece for the Goethe collection: a draft of the poem “Der Becher”, which was published in 1781 and still has numerous deviations.

Such a poem manuscript is rare in the trade and is estimated at 75,000 euros.

You can find out a lot of personal information about turn-of-the-century writers from a collection of letters presented by the Dutch antiquarian bookshop Forum BV.

The letters and cards, a total of 550 sheets, come from the estate of the literary critic and patron Nicolaas Beversen, who corresponded with more than ninety correspondents, including Colette, Käthe Kollwitz and George Bernard Shaw (28,000).

The Ludwigsburg Antiquaria focuses on rare, curious and unique antiquarian books at affordable prices.

Nevertheless, expensive Goethe paraphernalia can also be found here, such as the poet's quills, which were given to a visitor to Goethe in the 1920s and are available from Inlibris from Vienna and Kotte from Roßhaupten for 65,000 euros.

Stefan Krüger from Cologne has the most expensive offer with a copy of the six-volume atlas by Wilem Jansz and Joan Blaeu, the "Theatrum orbis terrarum", which was published between 1648 and 1655 and is estimated at 112,000 euros.

What really appeals to us, however, are the unusual titles, such as Wilhelm Zimmermann’s book “Der Weg zum Paradies”, published in 1846,

Old product catalogs offer insight into historical arts and crafts.

Painted beer pumps made of majolica, as they were common around 1900, can be admired on 54 illustrations in gold-enhanced multi-color printing.

The catalog of the Berlin outfitter for the beverage industry and gastronomy Heinrich Jungeblut was probably created in 1911 and costs 340 euros from Peter Truppe from Vienna.

A French pattern book for wood carving decorations and small furniture dates from the 19th century.

The large format includes full-size templates for bottle and pen holders, storage cases, and cigar cases.

It is available from Stefan Wulf from Berlin for 3800 euros.

The prize for book culture, which is awarded by the exhibitors at the Antiquaria and is endowed with 10,000 euros, goes this year to the communication scientist and collector Patrick Rössler.

Catalogs online: antiquaria-ludwigsburg.de, antiquariatsmesse-stuttgart.de