©Müller & Schindler

Publisher Charlotte Kramer: "Only education, knowledge and access

to shared cultural heritage enable

respectful coexistence"

The German publishing house Müller & Schindler has become world-famous for its facsimile editions. Founded in 1965, the publishing house has set itself the goal of making cultural and historical heritage accessible through book art. The first work was a facsimile of the Song of the Nibelungs, the German heroic epic about Siegfried, the dragon slayer.

We met the publisher Charlotte Kramer, who took over the publishing house from her father Manfred Kramer. She was the only German publisher at the International Book Fair in Riyadh this year. This is particularly important as many of Ismai's original manuscripts are held in European institutions and are considered difficult to access. Many people only have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with their culture through book art via facsimile editions. The "Masterpieces of Islamic Book Art" edition was also on display. According to the publisher, it forms "a globally unique collection and impressively demonstrates the artistry of calligraphers and illuminators from the most diverse cultures of the Islamic world". Book art from the most diverse Islamic cultures from over 1000 years has been incorporated into the work.

In a facsimile, each individual page is reproduced true to the original, whereby every aspect of the illustration - from the colouring and the application of gold to the trimming of the pages - must be reproduced down to the smallest detail. 

11. December

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