Das Streben nach Wissen

The form and function of popular encyclopedias went through very considerable changes in the 19th century. The study outlines the emergence of the general reference work as a genre in its own right and its differentiation into various types (Konversationslexikon, popular encyclopedia, specialized dictionary). The comparison of encyclopedia production in Germany and Britain, which is notable for a variety of reciprocal reception processes, clearly shows up the frequently non-synchronic stages in the process of change undergone by the genre, e.g. the increasing significance of these works as sources of information and reference as opposed to an educational tool.