45 - Lüdke, Friedrich Germanus

Lüdke, Friedrich Germanus Communion Book. Includes: By the same author, *Necessary Observations Against the Disregard and Abuse of the Holy Communion*. With 2 woodcut title vignettes. Berlin, Nicolai, 1772. VIII, 200 pp. and 110 pp., 1 fol. (Table of Contents). Small 8°. Marbled endpapers. Contemporary leather binding with gold-stamped title on a leather label, rich floral gilding on the spine, gold-stamped ornamental Filet trim on the covers and inner edges, endpapers of multicolored veined paste paper with irregular decoration, red-edged pages on the reverse, and a ribbon bookmark (joints at the upper capital slightly cracked, somewhat bumped, scuffed, and stained). Very rare first edition, a copy with prominent Prussian provenance. - Friedrich Germanus Lüdke (1730–92) was a prominent Protestant theologian of the Enlightenment and long-serving archdeacon at Berlin’s St. Nicholas Church. This “Communion Book” is divided into four parts (the last part having its own title page and pagination) and addresses the reform of the practice of the Lord’s Supper as a rational, tolerant approach to the sacrament. - Provenance: The reverse sides of the title pages bear the stamp of the Royal Joachimsthal Gymnasium (dissolved in 1956) as a bequest from Princess Anna Amalie of Prussia (1723–87), the youngest sister of Frederick the Great: “Gymnasio Reg: Joachim: Bequest: From the illustration: Striss. Princess Amalia.” (Regarding the bequest: Köpke, F. C.: History of the Library of the Royal Joachimsthal Gymnasium … Berlin, 1831, pp. 22ff.) - The attractive contemporary pasted paper endpapers show some color fading in places and are slightly browned throughout; overall, a well-preserved copy. - Extremely rare; according to the KVK, this first edition is found in German institutional collections only at the HAB Wolfenbüttel. Very rare first edition of Lübke’s popular “Communionbuch,” a copy with a distinguished Prussian provenance. - Friedrich Germanus Lüdke (1730–92) was a leading Protestant theologian of the Enlightenment and served for many years as archdeacon at St. Nicholas Church in Berlin. This work, in 4 parts (the last part with a separate title page and pagination), addresses the reorganization of the practice of the Lord’s Supper as a rational, tolerant approach to the sacrament. - Provenance: The reverse of the title pages bears the stamp of the Royal Joachimsthal Grammar School (dissolved in 1956) as a bequest from Princess Anna Amalie of Prussia (1723–87), the youngest sister of Frederick the Great: "Gymnasio Reg: Joachim: Legat: Ab Illustr: Striss. Principe Amalia". - The attractive contemporary decorative paper endpapers show some color fading in places; the paper is generally slightly browned throughout but is otherwise well preserved. - According to the KVK, this first edition is particularly rare and is held in German institutional collections only at the HAB Wolfenbüttel.