Wolf Przygode (editor) / Franz Marc (illustrator) / Peter Baum / Gustav Sack / Alfted Lichtenstein / - Buch der Toten. Erster Sonderdruck der Dichtung. - 1919

Buch der Toten. Erster Sonderdruck der Dichtung. – Wolf Przygode (editor) / Franz Marc (illustrator) / Peter Baum / Gustav Sack / Alfted Lichtenstein / Ernst Wilhelm Lotz / Ernst Stadler / Georg Trakl

München [Munich]: Roland-Verlag, 1919. xi, [5], 83, [9] pages. 32cm x 23.3cm. Hardcover with plain grey cardboard binding and with the original printed sand-coloured dust jacket. First edition of this seminal German Expressionist anthology, issued as the highly sought-after Erster Sonderdruck der Dichtung. It features a legendary, full-page zincography print titled "Tiger" by the monumental German Expressionist master Franz Marc. Edited by the vanguard literary figure Wolf Przygode, this historic work serves as both a vanguard anthology and a solemn eulogy dedicated to the generation of brilliant young Expressionist poets and artists—including Georg Trakl, Ernst Stadler, and Alfred Lichtenstein—whose lives were tragically cut short by the horrors of the First World War. Print run limited to 1,400 copies on water-marked paper. Published in Munich immediately following the chaos of World War I and the German Revolution, Buch der Toten ("The Book of the Dead") stands as one of the most poignant and beautiful monuments of the German Expressionist movement. Rather than a standard literary journal, editor Wolf Przygode compiled this heavy, solemn special print as a sacred memorial. It brought together the haunting, powerful, posthumous writings of a fractured avant-garde. The inclusion of Franz Marc's striking "Tiger" illustration serves as the definitive visual anchor for the collection—symbolizing the raw, vibrant, and fiercely creative spirit of a generation that was utterly decimated by industrialized warfare.

Condition:
Soiling, some tears at the edges and the spine, and some tanning and discoloration to the dust jacket (see photos). Some small creases in the top outer corner of the front pages, not affecting the content. Hardly any browning and spotting throughout. The text is clear, the illustration by Franz Mark is in excellent condition (see photos), and the binding is solid. Overa, a nice copy in very good condition.