Geschichte der geistlichen Dichtung und kirchlichen Torkunst in ihrem Zusammenhange mit der politischen und socialen Entwickelung insbesondere des deutschen Volkes. Bd. I.: Geschichte der geistlichen Dichtung und kirchlichen Tonkunst vom Beginne des Christenthums bis zum Anfange des elften Jahrhunderts. Mit einer Einleitung über die Poesie und Musik der alten Völker

Hans Michael Schletterer published this first volume of his ambitious survey in 1869, reflecting the nineteenth-century German intellectual tradition of analyzing cultural history through a socio-political lens. The work was intended to ground the evolution of church music and sacred poetry within the broader progress of the German people, establishing a scholarly framework that moved beyond mere musicology to explore the intersection of liturgy, art, and societal structure.

The design of the volume reflects the rigorous academic standards of the era, prioritizing dense, comprehensive analysis for a scholarly audience. Schletterer, a noted music historian and conductor, aimed to synthesize a vast expanse of early Christian history, beginning with the foundational influences of ancient civilizations. While the series was intended to be a definitive reference, it remains a product of the late Romantic period's desire to categorize the development of Western civilization through the history of its most significant aesthetic and religious expressions.