Judging a book by its cover
Illustrated book covers from the Weimar Era at the LBI library
![Kafka_r49](/media/images/Kafka_r49_tv0zSBz.original.png)
![Doeblin_PT 2607 O_35 R47](/media/images/Doeblin_PT_2607_O_35_R47.height-515.jpg)
![Berend_PT 2603 E58 B7 1925](/media/images/Berend_PT_2603_E58_B7_1925.height-515.jpg)
In the early 20th century, book culture thrived in Germany. Emerging from the horrors of World War I, German speaking countries were fertile ground for writers, poets, and artists. Higher literacy rates from the emerging middle-class also meant more readers seeking information and entertainment. Improved printing technologies led to less expensive methods for mass producing books.
With more books on the market than ever before, publishers sought new ways for their books to stand out from the crowd (and thereby, to sell more copies). Publishers often hired artists to illustrate book covers or dust jackets, often intending the front of the book to be as eye-catching and appealing as "small posters". Book design in Germany came to reflect the greater artistic styles and culture of the vibrant Weimar era, featuring images inspired by Expressionism, the Bauhaus school, and Dada.
The Leo Baeck Institute library has a large collection of early edition German language literature from the Weimar era. This is a showcase of just a small sampling of books with striking cover illustrations, ranging from colorful to charming to creepy, from LBI’s collection.
![Kafka_r49](/media/images/Kafka_r49_tv0zSBz.width-883.png)
![Doeblin_PT 2607 O_35 R47](/media/images/Doeblin_PT_2607_O_35_R47.width-883.jpg)
![Berend_PT 2603 E58 B7 1925](/media/images/Berend_PT_2603_E58_B7_1925.width-883.jpg)
![Jacob_PT 2619 A2 L4](/media/images/Jacob_PT_2619_A2_L4.width-883.jpg)
![Mynona_PT 2611 R65 M47](/media/images/Mynona_PT_2611_R65_M47.width-883.jpg)
![Wolf_PT 2647 O_56 K7](/media/images/Wolf_PT_2647_O_56_K7.width-883.jpg)
![Ettlinger_PT 2609 T85 G73 1915](/media/images/Ettlinger_PT_2609_T85_G73_1915.width-883.jpg)
![Moszkowski_PT 2625 O_62 F76](/media/images/Moszkowski_PT_2625_O_62_F76.width-883.jpg)
![Rheinsberg_PT 2642 U38 R45](/media/images/Rheinsberg_PT_2642_U38_R45.width-883.jpg)
![Landsberger_PT 2623 A4 B28](/media/images/Landsberger_PT_2623_A4_B28.width-883.jpg)
![Kubin_r (f) 24](/media/images/Kubin_r_f_24_nhatxJj.width-883.png)
![Kisch_PT 2621 I_87 M3](/media/images/Kisch_PT_2621_I_87_M3.width-883.jpg)
![Lasker-Schueler_PT 2623 A8 A5 1920](/media/images/Lasker-Schueler_PT_2623_A8_A5_1920.width-883.jpg)
![Elkan](/media/images/Elkan.width-883.jpg)
![Brod_PT 2603 R68 A75](/media/images/Brod_PT_2603_R68_A75.width-883.jpg)
![Roda_PT 2635 O_24 A15](/media/images/Roda_PT_2635_O_24_A15.width-883.jpg)
![Meyrink_PT 2625 E92 L6](/media/images/Meyerink_PT_2625_E92_L6.width-883.jpg)
![Roth_PT 2635 O_84 R4](/media/images/Roth_PT_2635_O_84_R4.width-883.jpg)
![birnbaum_NC 1509 B57 S33](/media/images/birnbaum_NC_1509_B57_S33.width-883.jpg)