52. Ludwig Jacobowski

Born on January 21, 1868. Died on December 2, 1900

Preface to Grimm's Fairy Tales

This issue has to be launched with a sad preface. Ludwig Jacobowski, who founded the wonderful enterprise “German Poets in Selection for the People”, is no longer with us. Death took him from his promising plans on December 2, 1900. This booklet is one of his legacies. The publication of the “Fairy Tales” is one of his last works. The name of the poet Ludwig Jacobowski, the creator of the novels “Werther, the Jew” and “Loki”, and the poems “Leuchtende Tage” will always have a place of honor in German literary history. But these creations are only a part of Jacobowski's achievements. His love of the people, his zeal to care for the spiritual needs of broad sections of society, led him to work that stands alone. From his earliest youth, one of his favorite pastimes was to immerse himself in the spirit of the people. He constantly pondered and researched how the people think and write. Hand in hand with this pursuit went his efforts to make the great treasures of poetry accessible to the people. He collected the best contemporary poetry and published it in a booklet entitled “New Songs by the Best New Poets for the People”. He then set about giving the German poets to the people. A booklet entitled “Goethe” and a second entitled “Heine” have already been published. This fairy tale booklet is the third. Many wonderful things were to follow. The people responded to the laborious undertaking with the most beautiful reward. The ten-pfennig booklets were distributed everywhere. And Ludwig Jacobowski received signs of the most grateful recognition from all sides. He experienced the great joy of finding full understanding for his deed. The letters that expressed to him the benefit he had provided to those whose means did not allow for large expenditures on books arrived at his home daily. He achieved more than he had hoped. He had built on the ideal attitude of the people; and it has been shown that he found a secure foundation. - The enterprise will be continued in his spirit.