The Haude and Spener publishing house, founded in 1614, played a central role in the Enlightenment and shaped the intellectual landscape of Prussia. It became particularly well-known through the “Berlinische Monatsschrift”, in which prominent thinkers such as Immanuel Kant published. The Berlin Wednesday Society, a reform group of leading Enlightenment figures, used the journal as a forum for discussion. Although the publishing house lost its significance over the centuries, its legacy remains, particularly through the famous Enlightenment motto, "Sapere aude" – Dare to know, which also became the motto of the publishing house.
By Jonathan Haude, Mitglied Österreichischer Auslandsdienst, Peace Servant at Carnegie Foundation , Peace Palace, The Hague
The history of Haude and Spener dates back to the early 17th century. Originally founded in 1614 by the brothers Hans and Samuel Kalle, this was made possible by a privilege granted to them by Elector Johann Sigismund. Although the brothers belonged to the bookbinding guild, they ventured into publishing and released their first book in 1615. By 1659, 37 works had been published before the bookstore was sold to Rupert Völcker.
In the following decades, the company changed hands several times: in 1697, it passed to Völcker's son Johann, who, in turn, sold it to Johann Christoph Papen in 1700. In 1723, Ambrosius Haude took over the business and transformed it into a significant publishing house.
Ambrosius Haude and His Connection to Frederick II
Ambrosius Haude was a wealthy and enterprising publisher. He ran a well-organized bookstore with a substantial stock of books. A catalog from 1724, spanning 288 pages, attests to the breadth of his selection. The bookstore was located at a prominent spot across from the Royal Palace, where the National Monument for Kaiser Wilhelm I stands today.
Haude's publishing house gained particular cultural and historical significance due to its close connection with Crown Prince Frederick, who would later become Frederick II (the Great). Frederick was a passionate reader of classical literature, especially French works. Through his former teacher Duhan, a close relationship developed between Frederick and Haude. The crown prince owned a book collection of several thousand volumes, which were secretly stored in a back room of Haude’s bookstore, rented by the crown prince. However, after Frederick’s failed escape attempt in 1730, this library was confiscated by his strict father, King Frederick William I, and transported via Hamburg to Amsterdam, where it was auctioned off. It is believed that Ambrosius Haude later bought the books back and made them available to the crown prince once more.
Haude and Spener in the Late Enlightenment
The publishing house gained particular importance during the Late Enlightenment. One of its key publications was the “Berlinische Monatsschrift”, edited by Johann Erich Biester and Friedrich Gedike. The historian Werner Krauss described it as the most significant forum of the Late Enlightenment. Between 1783 and 1796, many prominent thinkers of the time contributed to the journal, including Immanuel Kant.
Kant published several essays in the “Berlinische Monatsschrift”. His most famous contribution is the essay "Answering the Question: What is Enlightenment?" in which he responded to a question posed by Johann Friedrich Zöllner. Kant argued that individuals must have the courage to use their own understanding to free themselves from self-imposed immaturity. He formulated and shaped the famous motto of the Enlightenment: "Sapere aude" – Dare to know. Kant explained this saying with: "Have the courage to use your own understanding."
This motto not only shaped the philosophy of the Late Enlightenment but also became the motto of the Haude and Spener publishing house.
The Berlin Wednesday Society and Its Influence
Starting in 1783, a group of reform supporters and Enlightenment friends formed around the publishing house, known as the Berlin Wednesday Society. Its members included prominent figures such as theologian Wilhelm Abraham Teller, Prussian finance minister Carl August von Struensee, and philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. The “Berlinische Monatsschrift” served as an important discussion forum for this society, where nearly every member published.
The Wednesday Society played a significant role in the political debates of its time. It was involved in drafting the General Land Law for Prussia, which King Frederick II presented for public debate in 1784. For the first time in history, a limited public was given the opportunity to participate in shaping a legal text. However, this form of participation was short-lived: in 1798, Friedrich Wilhelm III dissolved the Wednesday Society, accusing it of threatening the internal security of the state.
A Publishing House Whose Ideals Live On
Although the founding of the publishing house was more than 400 years ago, and it has largely faded into obscurity in recent centuries, its ideals remain alive. The writings published by the house influenced the intellectual history of Europe and inspired generations of thinkers. The courage to reason and the demand for intellectual self-determination, first articulated by Kant, are more relevant and important today than ever – a lasting legacy of Haude and Spener Publishing House.
SAPERE AUDE
- Stolze Vergangenheit and lebendige Gegenwart. 325 Jahre Haude & Spenersche Buchhandlung zu Berlin. Berlin, Haude and Spenersche Buchhandlung Max Paschke, 1939.
- Weber, Peter. Berlinische Monatsschrift 1783 - 1796: Herausgegeben von Friedrich Gedike und Johann Erich Biester. 1st ed., Verlag Philipp Reclam jun. Leipzig, 1985.
- Kant, Immanuel. Beantwortung Der Frage: Was Ist Aufklärung? www.projekt-gutenberg.org/kant/aufklae/aufkl001.html.
- Konrad Weidling: Die Haude & Spenersche Buchhandlung in Berlin in den Jahren 1614–1890. Haude und Spener, Berlin 1902.