Bayerische Hefte für Volkskunde (Bavarian Folklore Booklets)

The "Verein für Volkskunst und Volkskunde" (Association for Folk Art and Folklore), which is now known as the "Bayerischer Landesverein für Heimatpflege" (Bavarian State Association for the Preservation of Local History), was founded relatively late, in 1902, as a central association for the research, preservation and promotion of customs in Bavaria. In addition to Ferdinand von Miller (1842-1929), the architects August Thiersch (1843-1917) and Hans Grässel (1860-1939) and the lawyer and politician Gustav von Kahr (1862-1934) were among the main driving forces behind the project.

The central publication of the association from 1903 was the magazine "Volkskunst und Volkskunde” (Folk Art and Folklore) (from 1912: "Bayerischer Heimatschutz” (Bavarian Heritage Society), from 1937 "Schönere Heimat” (A more beautiful homeland)); the association soon published various supplements on specialised topics, including the central "Bayerische Hefte zur Volkskunde", which was dedicated to scientific research.

The editorship was initially in the hands of the Germanists Friedrich von der Leyen (1914-1922) and Adolf Spamer (1914-1919), the association's archivist for many years. Later volumes were edited by Friedrich Seebass (1920), Friedrich Lüers (1921-1924), Sigfrid Hofmann (1938/39), Hans Moser (1938-1943) and Wilhelm Schönberger (1940-1943). The articles, announcements and reviews printed in the magazine were usually written by members of the association.

However, financial problems were a feature of almost the entire publication period. From the third volume (1916) onwards, quarterly publication had to be abandoned, and from 1919 onwards only one issue was published per year. After the 10th year of publication (1923/24), no further issues were published for the time being. It was not until 1938 that the "Bayerische Hefte für Volkskunde" could be revived; in 1940 the series was renamed "Bayerisch-südostdeutsche Hefte für Volkskunde" and finally discontinued in 1943 as a result of the general rationalisation measures, just like all of the association's publications.

After the Second World War, the tradition of the "Bayerische Hefte für Volkskunde" was not resumed. It was ultimately replaced by the Bayerisches Jahrbuch für Volkskunde (Bavarian Yearbook of Folklore), which has been published continuously since 1950.

Notes on use

For legal reasons, only the volumes up to and including 1920 can be made freely accessible on the Internet; the volumes 1921-1923/24 can only be accessed at the designated PC workstations in the reading rooms of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.