Annotated Bavarian Schreib-Kalender, Munich 1766 – With Contemporary Handwritten Accounts
A rare surviving example of a Bavarian Schreib-Kalender (writing calendar) for the year 1766, printed in Munich by Franz Joseph Thuille. These almanacs combined calendrical and astronomical data with ample blank space for notes, and were widely used by merchants, craftsmen, and officials as practical agenda and account books.
This copy is enriched with a number of contemporary handwritten notes in German cursive (Kurrent), transforming it into a working ledger. The annotations record construction-related accounts, including brick deliveries (one pile counted at 1454 bricks), payments to masons and builders (entries of 15 and 30 florins), and transactions with local individuals, such as Dr. Kruminger, Ernst Hammer, and Jacob Müller. Several notes reference St. Emmeran Abbey, and mention charitable contributions to the local poor fund.
The printed portion includes the decorated title page, a privilege issued by Elector Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria, and the standard almanac features: feast days, zodiac symbols, astronomical tables, fairs, and markets across Bavaria.
Such annotated Schreib-Kalender volumes are scarce survivals, offering unique insights into the economic and social history of 18th century Bavaria. They serve not only as almanacs but also as authentic documents of everyday life, recording the intersection of trade, construction, and religious institutions.
Condition: Complete with printed title page, privilege, almanac tables, and manuscript notes. Binding original, with signs of age and use appropriate to an 18th century working volume. The handwriting remains legible, though written in contemporary German Kurrent script.
Technique: Letterpress printing with woodcut ornaments; manuscript annotations in ink.
Maker: Franz Joseph Thuille, Munich, 1766.
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