Der Handweiser, as affectionately known by longer-term members of the Kosmos community, was a science monthly aimed at interested lay readers in the German speaking world, and it first appeared in 1903. The most recent edition in my collection happens to date from 1959. The publishing company, Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung of Stuttgart is still thriving, and the journal possibly continues in some form or other. I don't happen to know.

As well as being a popular journal, the talk in some years is of a million readers, it was actually a monthly service for members of Kosmos Gesellschaft der Naturfreunde. Articles dealt with "soft" and "hard" science, and effort always went into making the language accessible in either case, or with the range of gradients between the two extremes. All fields of science and nature could feature. The activities of hamsters in wheat fields for example, which used to be common pests before mechanisation and chemistry changed the face of agriculture. Other subjects could be found in the kitchen, greenhouse, garden, solar system, geology, chemistry, physics, paleontology... A 1908 Issue I've unfortunately not seen is entirely concerned with Charles Darwin, and a 1921 monthly deals solely with introducing the theory of relativity. Potato diseases, 29 different forms of expressing the number 18 in various languages, the latest technological breakthroughs... It all turned up in Der Handweiser.

Passion among the chaos
That may sound admirable enough, the language used can be quaint, and some of the ethnographic articles veer from unintentionally funny to sinister. They, as with the rest of the content, reflect Western perspectives of the age with a German flavour.

However, there's more to this story than just a bit of effort. Opening the 1950 issues shows that year to have been the 46th annual publication. As the presses began rolling in 1903, Handweiser must've completely failed to appear one year, and I know that was between 1943 to 1945. The latter seems the most likely. (I don't have all editions.) Given the shortages of everything in Germany during 1945, the collapse of the Third Reich and the imposition of military law by foreigners -much more liberal than the native military dictatorship- then the loss of a year is none too surprising. The much more remarkable aspect is that this was the only time when the presses completely failed to turn. Perhaps they'd be melted down for munitions, as Kosmos otherwise kept printing through hell and high water, somehow or other, and always turned out popular science articles in a language that could be widely understood.

Of the 47 years from 1903-1950 World War raged during twelve of them. Handweiser kept pointing the way for eleven of those. The periods following both World Wars were times of chronic shortage and inflationary mayhem. I've just fetched my 1948 for some realities from that time in Germany, two-and-a-half years after the war.

Page 52: "Bombed out author seeks to buy for good payment: Kosmosbände-Buchbeigaben..."
Those were small, extra booklets of about 100 pages. Usually, around four were issued a year, and his must've been victims of air raids.

Page 90: "Der "Kosmos" braucht Altpapier."
This was an appeal to members for waste paper. The publisher had been allocated no supplies whatsoever for six months, not a gramme, but they were determined to get the next issues out. Somehow or other. Each reader was asked to send a two kilogramme parcel of old paper, or preferably more. Sometimes, as a reluctant last resort, the publisher was forced into producing double issues. In other words, something like a usual issue although -perhaps- somewhat thinner, but covering two months. However, that was better than nothing at all.

Page 52: "Who can provide information about Lt. Karl Schönleber, born 14.10.1916 in Kirchheim/Teck, Feldpost No. 22058A. Last message on 26.8.1944 from Romania. Please contact Frau Hilde Schönleber, Ruderberg."

What kept the journal and organisation ticking was a passion for science and nature, even among the bombed out ruination.

Peace?
There was no World War underway for 35 of those years, and some were times of relative prosperity; namely those prior to 1914 and, less so, 1926-1928. You could possibly include 1949-1950 and reach a total of 17 years of something like normality. That's just 17 out of 47. Inflation shot through the roof in 1923, and continued rising beyond the stratosphere. Even before that, in 1921, it was impossible to say what the membership fees for the following year would be. They settled on 10.50 marks for the first three months, and what the next quarter might cost was anybody's guess. Page B41 of the November issue contains a banally revealing glimpse of everyday Germany. There's a notice asking for Christmas donations for the Kosmosstiftung, a charitable foundation. Many schools no longer had luxury items such as books, paper, pencils... Many turned to Kosmos for help, and then many more, and then many many more.

Being unable to cope with all the requests, Kosmos turned to its members and, somehow or other, also managed to scrounge the means to match every donation with funds from somewhere or other. And, somehow or other, the presses kept turning as things went from worst to worster. My primary school teacher was convinced that no such word as 'worster' exists, but I doubt they ever had to beg for books for the childers.

However, all bad things come to an end. Things began improving during the latter half of the 1920s. But then Wall Street crashed and, after yet more chaos, Germany was transformed into a sadistocracy. That had to be brought so far down beyond its foundations, that even the passion that had kept Kosmos printing finally wasn't up to the challenge. But they were already planning the editions for the following year.

As well as finding articles on science and nature in the back issues of Der Handweiser, there's a deep well of social history in the small ads and between the lines.

What happens when a war breaks out, Reports from the Kosmos home front
September
1914, Heft 9, Seite B1 Bekanntmachungen des Kosmos, Gesellschaft der Naturfreunde, Stuttgart
September 1914, page B1 Announcements of the Kosmos, Society for Nature Lovers, Stuttgart
Part of our September issue had already been printed when the mobilisation was ordered. A large part of our editorial team, the manager of the Despatch Department and many other employees had to report during the first days while, by the time this issue appears, a further large part of our staff will already have been called to the colours. The same is happening for our independent workers, a great number of dear friends and Kosmos members have also been called up, and cannot meet their commitments for providing articles and pictures, the printing houses and bookbinding shops can only maintain part of their services with their last reserves.

Issuing and working on Kosmos has additionally been made exceptionally difficult by the indefinite suspension of transport to Leipzig, and the delayed postal service everywhere. When the countryside is called up as well, there will be absolutely no experienced male personnel available, and a temporary closure of the company is to be expected. Therefore, we ask our Kosmos members for friendly patience and indulgence due to these circumstances. They know that we will do everything humanly possible in order to satisfy our friends. We also ask for prompt reports of address changes to keep us up to date, so that the few people who remain active within our company are not burdened with time consuming enquiries and other unnecessary work.

The two accompanying books: Nagel, Romantik der Chemie ('Romance of Chemistry') and Kahn, Milchstraße ('Milky Way') are largely ready or will, as we hope, be ready in the next few days. However, we do not want to send them out until the postal situation is clearer, and it is certain that these volumes will reach the hands of our members.

This war, which will be fought with all materials that science and technology can offer, will bring a cultural regression for Europe. We hope and wish that Kosmos will be able to continue fulfilling its mission after the war. Towards this objective we call already for the help of our friends.

However, we also hope and wish with all our hearts that everything goes well for our fighting brothers, employees and friends, and their fates will also be eased by the rich materials that our highly developed science and technology have made available.

Stuttgart, beginning or August 1914.
Editorial staff and office of Kosmos

October
1914, Heft 10, Seite B1 Bekanntmachungen des Kosmos, Gesellschaft der Naturfreunde, Stuttgart
October 1914, page B1 Announcements of the Kosmos, Society for Nature Lovers, Stuttgart
Happily, the despatch of the Kosmos issue 9 ran smoothly, and only members living abroad in enemy countries cannot yet be catered for. Although conditions have meanwhile been made even more difficult by the call up of further personnel, and this issue is consequently somewhat thinner and has been delayed from arriving into the hands of our subscribers by a few days, we have nevertheless been able to also provide subscribers of the October issue with the book by Nagel, Romantik der Chemie, and will be able to include Kahn's Die Milchstraße with November's.

Herr Fritz Seitz, our editorial board member, was lightly wounded during a battle in Lothringen, and now finds himself on the road to recovery. Two other employees, Herr Adolf Rees, who has been involved in producing Kosmos for years, and Herr Adolf Martz, who was responsible for despatches, have fallen heroically for the Fatherland in Vogesen. Kosmos will keep the fallen (? Wackeren) in our memory.

Fortunately, only good news has arrived concerning all other called up employees. A series of Kosmos members have pleased us with letters from the field, and have expressed the desire that Kosmos should also be available to read in the field. Whatever we can do in this direction will naturally be done gladly. The Red Cross in Stuttgart, and a number of Kosmos members working in hospitals, have received reading material from us, and this has spread much pleasure everywhere.

Many of our members have also spoken of their wishes for the New Year. Some want a decline in the content and price so as to, despite the great amount of important literature in our eventful age, not miss the old familiar Kosmos, and others write that, under all circumstances, we should maintain Kosmos at its prior size and price, in short, everywhere during this difficult time, there is the greatest interest for Kosmos, and the feeling of community among the membership. We are always willing and prepared to explore any suggestion.

As regards the additional books for 1915, we presently intend to issue ones by Wilhelm Bölsche, Dr Kurt Floericke and Professor Karl Weule. We will provide more details on other volumes later.

November
1914, Heft 11, Seite B1 Bekanntmachungen des Kosmos, Gesellschaft der Naturfreunde, Stuttgart
November 1914, page B1 Announcements of the Kosmos, Society for Nature Lovers, Stuttgart
With the November issue we have sent the final additional book of this year, Die Milchstraße written by our employee, Dr Fritz Kahn, who also now finds himself in service. The following are planned as additional books for next year's issues: Der Mensch der Zukunft ('The Person of the Future') by Wilhelm Bölsche, a volume that promises to be exceptionally interesting. Then will follow Dr Kurt Floericke's Gepanzerte Ritter ('Armoured Knights' an apt natural history of crabs), and also Professor Dr Karl Weule's contribution Die Entstehung von Sprache und Schrift ('The Origin of Language and Writing'), and this is closely connected with the earlier books by this well known author. Dr Hermann Dekker and Arno Marx have promised books. However, as both gentlemen have been called up, the publication dates cannot be finalised.

As members can see from this list, even during the present difficult time, we have done all that we can in order to offer them the best possible. We take this opportunity to thank all members who, during the present time, have given us joy with their numerous letters, and especially to those abroad who have found a quarter of an hour in order to ask about their Kosmos. In almost all letters received from the front, it has been stressed how essential their Kosmos is.