
Description
Der Todtentanz.
Ein Gedicht.
Leipzig: bei Friedtich August Leo; 1831
(The Dance of Death. A poem.)
With frontispiece and 48 outline etchings after H. Holbein.
VIII, 200 pages.
Original blind embossed cloth
- Goed. XIII, 165, 9. Linschmann 113. Massmann 56. Oppermann 1161 (detailed): "Very rare work."
First edition
Good condition, some occasional foxing
Size about 5 by 6 3/4 inches
Text in German
Ludwig Bechstein (1801 – 1860) was a German writer and collector of folk fairy tales.
He was born in Weimar, the illegitimate child of Johanna Carolina Dorothea Bechstein and Hubert Dupontreau, a French emigrant who disappeared before the birth of the child; Ludwig thus grew up very poor in his first nine years. His situation improved only when his uncle Johann Matthäus Bechstein, a renowned naturalist and forester living in Meiningen in the country of Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, adopted him in 1810. He was sent to school in Meiningen, and in 1818, started an apprenticeship as a pharmacist.
From 1828 to 1831 he studied philosophy and literature in Leipzig and Munich thanks to a stipend granted by Duke Bernhard II of Sachsen-Meiningen, who hired him subsequently as a librarian. This lifetime post provided Bechstein with a continuous income, while leaving him a lot of freedom to pursue his own interests and writing. He lived from 1831 until his death in Meiningen. In his honor, a fountain was built in the English Garden.
Bechstein published many works and was a successful author of his time. His German Fairy Tale Book was even more popular than the Brothers Grimm's collection when it was first published in 1845.
He published several collections of folk tales, and also published romances and poems
====
Please see my other auctions
Reserve: $449.00
Shipping:
Your purchase is protected:
In the rare event that the item did not conform to the lot description in the sale, Chairish Auctions specialists are here to help. Buyers may return the item for a full refund provided you notify Chairish Auctions within 5 days of receiving the item.
Condition
--
Buyer's Premium
20%
1831 DANCE of DEATH POEM 48 ETCHINGS by HOLBEIN antique Der Todtentanz Bechstein
Estimate $550-$700
Starting Price
$220
1 bidder is watching this item
LiveAuctioneers Purchase Protection
Vetted auction houses
Secure, online bidding
Returns guaranteed for misrepresented listings
Dedicated support when you need it
Ink of Ages: 15th-19th Century Antique Books
May 08, 2026 3:00 PM EDTNew York, NY, United States
TOP



![1604 PROGYMNASMATA by Aphthonius of Antioch VELLUM BINDING antique: Title: 1604 PROGYMNASMATA by Aphthonius of Antioch VELLUM BINDING antique Description: Aphtonius Progymnasmata [...]. Novissima editio [...]. Apud Iacobini Chouet; 1604 Original overlapping vellum.](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/5584/416978/231946912_1_x.jpg?height=181&quality=70&sharpen=true&version=1778276511&width=181)












![1754 MAP of LONDON antique ALDERSGATE WARD: Title: 1754 MAP of LONDON antique ALDERSGATE WARD Description: ALDERSGATE WARD with its divisions into precincts and parishes [London; 1754] Copper engraving Size (including margins): 10 by 16 inches](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/5584/416978/231946925_1_x.jpg?height=181&quality=70&sharpen=true&version=1778276511&width=181)















