Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopädie (DBE)
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In collaboration with:
Dietrich von Engelhardt
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Edited by:
Rudolf Vierhaus
The Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopädie (DBE) [Dictionary of German Biography] is now available in a completely new edition. It provides information on about 63,000 individuals whose lives, works and achievements are considered remarkable to this very day and who remain part of German cultural heritage. This includes men and women from all aspects of public life.
In this encyclopaedia, reaching back as far as the Early Middle Ages, Austrians and German-speaking Swiss are also included, as are people from other places, whose journeys through life led them to German-speaking regions, where they made a significant impact.
The articles of the first edition including supplements have been thoroughly revised and updated for the new edition, and 7,500 new articles were added. They contain all important details in compact form: details on the individuals' background, education, influential encounters, career, the areas in which they worked and were influential, characteristic works and achievements, friendships and relationships, membership of groups and associations, reception and in special cases, prizes and honours. Connections and relations between persons, families and social groups, as well as traditions and schools of thought, are illustrated through a refined system of cross-references between the articles. In general, a reference to further reading is provided at the end of each entry.
1,300 articles are written and signed by recognised experts. Those articles unfurl the lives, achievements and influence of exceptional individuals in greater depth and most are highlighted with portraits of these persons.
Details about the people and references to further literature are brought up to current standards of biographical research. Thus there now exists an indispensable biographical encyclopaedia, which should not be missing in any library.
For easy access to the alphabetically arranged volumes, the Index of Persons in volume 11 lists all the names of historically recorded persons occurring in volumes 1-10, who either have their own individual articles or are mentioned in the texts. Name variations, birth names, pseudonyms etc. are itemized in a referral system.
The Index of Places in volume 12 lists the places referred to in volumes 1-10, in alphabetical order. Reference is made to place of birth, activity and death. Places sharing the same name are identified by the provision of additional information, such as the district. For places in previous German or Austrian territories, the name in the current language of the country in question is used.
Author / Editor information
Rudolf Vierhaus, Göttingen.
Reviews
"[...] bietet sich die ›DBE‹ in einzigartig kompakter Form und mit vielen Querverweisen als sehr nützliches Hilfswerk an, das von Käufern auch online genutzt werden kann."
Thomas Maissen in: Neue Zürcher Zeitung 18. Februar 2009
"... eines höchst wertvollen und unverzichtbaren biographischen Standardwerks vor, das in keiner wissenschaftlichen Bibliothek fehlen sollte."
Sudhoffs Archiv, Stuttgart, Nr. 1, 2006
Zur ersten Ausgabe:
"Mit der Fertigstellung der DBE erhielt Deutschland eine dritte Nationalbiographie."
Historische Zeitschrift, Bd. 276, April 2003
"Denn der Käufer erhält binnen weniger Jahre nicht nur die umfassendste deutsche Biographiensammlung, er erwirbt zugleich auch einen endlosen Lesespaß und offenen Zugang zur deutschen Geschichte. Denn das krumme Holz der Einzelbiographien ist hier durch einfaches Aneinanderreihen zu einer Brücke geworden, die weit in die Vergangenheit trägt und noch für Jahre Stabilität verspricht. Mehr kann man schwerlich erwarten"
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 16. Mai 1995
"Nichts fehlt, und wer so richtig Lust zum Schnuppern und Entdecken hat, kommt auf seine Kosten."
Deutsche Welle, Köln, Mai 1995
"In der Übersichtlichkeit liegt die große Stärke der DBE, in der Kunst, einen Abriß zu geben von Leben, Karriere, Werk deutscher Persönlichkeiten."
Süddeutsche Zeitung, 15./16. Februar 1997
"An der Anschaffung dieses aktuellen biographischen Nachschlagewerks wird keine Bibliothek mit breitem Benutzerkreis vorübergehen können."
Zeitschrift für Bibliothekswesen und Bibliographie, Juli/August 1995
"Endlich soll in nur vier Jahren eine empfindliche Lücke geschlossen werden, nämlich das Fehlen eines umfassenden allgemeinen biografischen Nachschlagewerks. [...] Unzählige Informationen regen zum Lesen an und tragen zur Weiterbildung bei. Eine Fundgrube für Wissenschaftler und Fachleute, aber auch für Hobbyhistoriker und Lokalgeschichtler, für Freunde der Literatur, der bildenden Kunst, des Theaters, der Musik und viele andere. [...] Vorgestellt wurde in Berlin der erste Band eines aktuellen Werks, das die deutsche Vergangenheit in Biografien verdeutlicht: umfassend, reichhaltig und überschaubar."
Börsenblatt, 25./28. März 1995
The second edition of the Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopädie (DBE) is made up of ten volumes and contains approx. 65,000 articles on individuals who through their lives, works and achievements have contributed to German culture and remain part of German cultural remembrance. The geographical area covered by the DBE is defined by the German language. The articles of the first edition are being comprehensively revised and more than 8,000 new articles added. Purchasers of the new edition of the DBE will receive free-of-charge access to the online version until 31.12.2007.
The second edition of the Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopädie (DBE) is made up of ten volumes and contains approx. 65,000 articles on individuals who through their lives, works and achievements have contributed to German culture and remain part of German cultural remembrance. The geographical area covered by the DBE is defined by the German language. The articles of the first edition are being comprehensively revised and more than 8,000 new articles added.
The DBE's Index of Persons alphabetically lists all the names of historically recorded persons occurring volumes 1 to 10; who either have their own individual articles or are mentioned in the texts. Not included however, are the lists of works and literature at the end of each article about an individual person. Index key words are specified along with the full name of the relevant profession, as well as years of birth and death. Name variations, birth names, pseudonyms etc. are itemized in a referral system; references are made to the name under which the article can be found in the DBE.
The DBE's index of places lists the places referred to in volumes 1 to 10, in alphabetical order. The place of reference is given in the following form: key word, reference to place of birth (*), place of activity (~), place of death (†), number of volumes/pages. Places sharing the same name are identified by the provision additional information, such as the district. For places in previous German or Austrian territories, the name in the current language of the country in question is used.
