To the history of the Austrian Exlibris Society (ÖEG)

The Austrian Exlibris Society this year is looking back on 100 years of its interesting history, so rich in changes. It began already before 1903 in Vienna, when a “Dinner Society” was called to life, as a “free society, which was not restricted by any rule-governed, officially followed organization,” but rather as a desire of some high-positioned personalities who wished to meet casually to discuss the subject of exlibris.

These people were important bookplate collectors of the first hour, who have already conglomerated significant collections, as the awareness grew, that the exlibris was a bearer of culture and that was identifiable as an art form in itself, which was most closely bound and related to books. In addition to this, it also emphasizes the owner through this artistic creation of the bookplate, and through this, it makes the book in which such is placed into an especially unique specimen.

The idea received such great response, that these members of the “dinner society,” among them Moritz von Weittenhiller, Rudolf Höfken, Knight of Hattingsheim, and from the artistic workshop of the Imperial and Royal Court the painter of the Coat-of-Arms, Ernst Krahl, took the initiative, and in the beginning of 1903 founded the Austrian Exlibris Society. The effort was taken..and the primary objective was to dedicate “to researching, and to heighten awareness of the national, native exlibris-treasures, and to make efforts to enable the Austrian homeland to join and become a part of the Exlibris Movement.”

Today, 100 years later, there is no longer talk of the flowering "raising of the native exlibris-treasures," and it is said in the constitution statutes of 2002 rather plainly, but still complementing the goals of the Society as a scientific institution: “the support of the art of the exlibris and the artistic branches related to it in the forms of small graphics in Austria and in other countries […] and the research of the history of the small graphics, especially the exlibris” – and its support and its spreading in our present time.”

The first “publication” arrived at Christmas of 1903 and since that time, with almost no interruption, until today continued as the famous and treasured “Yearbooks.” The first World War had hardly any effect on the Association’s activities; it was more the time of the World economic crisis with its inflation. But still, with a longvisioned leadership of the Society, these difficult times were overcome with quite good results.

To provide information to the ever increasing number of members at home as well as in foreign countries, the periodical “Mitteilungen” became introduced in 1937, which is published 2-3 times each year, and to this present day still avail themselves.

The political changes during the year of 1938 have also for the ÖEG not passed without leaving a trace. The new dictators attacked before all else the name of the Society and changed it to the “Viennese Exlibris Society.” The years of the war have crippled and paralyzed the Society, just like every other forms of cultural work. However, immediately after the collapse, the old true followers got together to activate the continued leadership of the Austrian Exlibris Society. This was successful, and with zest, initiatives and ideas, the Society was lead into a new era. The Yearbooks, and the Mitteilungen periodical, with a new volume series, were again to be continued. Also lecture series were initiated, and special publications were to be published, and the Society opened itself internationally, and the number of its membership reached a record high number of 400 in the year 1951.

The collector-community is just a portion of the Society; the artists are the rest of the organization with whom we cannot do without, who from the very beginning have shown some very prominent representatives. It is no coincidence that in the very first publication in 1903, the then still young Alfred Cossmann was introduced, who later educated and developed graphic artists who followed him, and who belonged to the legendary “Cossmann School” of copper engraving, or who held Cossmann and Hans Ranzoni Jr. as admired examples. To this lineage of artists the ending point one can still consider and recognize today in the well known postage-stamp engraver, Prof. Werner Pfeiler. Also in the field of xylography (wood engraving) the Austrian exlibris has reached a high point of accomplishment with the “Linzer” artists, Max Kislinger, Franz Lahner, and Toni Hofer. And one can say that today so many famous artists, like for example Arnulf Rainer, Hermann Hartel, or some less known artists all dedicate themselves to creating exlibris.

We cannot deceive, that during the last 100 years some fundamental and incisive changes have occurred in our social surroundings which have influenced all forms of our lives, and so also our time of recreation and what we make of it. The book, and along with it also the meaning of the exlibris has transformed and changed itself through the postponement of the educated population to the digital society.

Today the exlibris is less likely an indicator of the owner in the book, than it would be as an individualized collectible object of enthusiasts of small graphic art in their bookplate collection. The elaboration of a design of such individual and personalized small graphic print in close association with the artist, is one of the most exciting aspects of the preoccupation with exlibris to be experienced.

Today the Austrian Exlibris Society has a count of 250 members. At regular meetings, lectures and presentations are given, functions for exchanges are organized, and in close contact with artists commissions are made for creating new bookplates. In this way, members participate actively in the artistic event and process and also promote and support the artists.

 
The ÖEG informs its members in the regularly published “Mitteilungen” about the world of the exlibris, and it also publishes the periodic Yearbook, full of contributed essays about bookplates, about commercial art, and about the small graphics in general. The archives of the Austrian Exlibris Society are stored at the Austrian National Library.

The members also maintain close contact in foreign countries, as the exlibris ideas are so popular worldwide. There are 38 societies from different countries in the parent organization FISAE (Federation International des Societes d’Amateurs d’Exlibris) together represented. This was also started in Austria, as the ÖEG in 1953 was part of the First FISAE Congress, which it organized and hosted. Since those beginnings, there were congresses not only in many countries in Europe, but also in Japan and America, and in 2004 Austria has the honor for the fourth time to host and organize, the already XXX. Congress, in the town of Wels. The Austrian Exlibris Society remains dedicated to the exlibris, to the commercial arts and small graphics, and continues the exlibris tradition in Austria.

Heinrich R. Scheffer