Deutsche Humoristen, 1. Band (von 8)

A whimsical snapshot of early‑twentieth‑century German humor arrives in this modest volume, which gathers together a handful of short pieces that were originally printed in Fraktur and, where appropriate, set in an italicized Antiqua style. The editor emphasizes that the selection follows no strict literary system—only the desire to present readers with “something good”—so the anthology jumps from light‑hearted travel recollections to playful verse without warning, preserving the original quirks of spelling and punctuation while quietly smoothing obvious typographic errors.

Among the contributors are the pastoral storyteller Peter Rosegger, whose recollection of a first ride on a steam carriage blends nostalgia with gentle satire, and Wilhelm Raabe, whose longer narrative about a march home balances sentiment with a quietly absurd edge. Fritz Reuter offers a dialect‑rich vignette that captures regional wit, while Albert Roderich caps the collection with a short, sharp commentary on fate. Together, these pieces showcase the range of German comedic voice at a time when humor was both a social pastime and a subtle critique of everyday life.