Edited by Johannes Frimmel and Murray G. Hall
Since the first printings in the 15th century, bibliology in Austria has presented a manifold as well as fascinating panorama. As opposed to national states such as England or France with a largely homogenous population, the Habsburg Monarchy had a variety of peoples, ethnic groups, languages, and religions. The various languages alone were a barrier to research. Further circumstances influenced the scene for printing, book trade, publishing companies and lending libraries, newspapers and journals more than elsewhere: interventions first by clerical, subsequently by governmental censorship; limitation of licenses; oppressive taxes, customs tariffs and postal fees; uninhibited reprints; and a copyright missing for too long. Pervading this jungle of political, economic and cultural forces is a challenge for research. The series Buchforschung. Beiträge zum Buchwesen in Österreich aims at contributing to research in the history of books in the Habsburg Monarchy as well as in the history of Austrian book trade and publishing companies since 1918.