Kürschners staats-, hof- und kommunal-handbuch des reichs und der einzelstaaten, zugleich statistisches jahrbuch ...

Kürschners Staats-, Hof- und Kommunal-Handbuch, edited by the polymath and lexicographer Joseph Kürschner, emerged during the late 19th century as a monumental effort to catalog the complex bureaucratic and administrative infrastructure of the German Empire. It was conceived as a comprehensive reference work to navigate the multifaceted hierarchies of the Reich and its individual member states, providing a systematic overview of governance, court appointments, and regional statistics at a time when German administrative structures were undergoing rapid evolution.

The design of the work reflects the rigorous, encyclopedic tradition of German reference publishing, characterized by an emphasis on density, accuracy, and clear organizational logic. Kürschner, already known for his extensive literary and biographical catalogs, aimed to create a definitive administrative guide that could serve both government officials and researchers. The publication was well-regarded for its exhaustive scope, functioning as an indispensable manual for understanding the social and institutional fabric of the German-speaking lands during the Wilhelmine period.