Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm Duncker (February 18, 1813 – August 23, 1879) was a German publisher and bookseller.
Life and family
He was descended from a successful Berlin family of booksellers, born in Berlin, the son of Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Duncker (1781–1869) and Fanny Duncker (née Wolff). His brothers included historian and politician Maximilian Duncker (1811–1886), and publisher and pundit Franz Duncker (1822–1888), founder of a trade union with labor economist Max Hirsch (1832–1905). Another brother, Hermann Carl Rudolf Duncker (1817–1892) was a member of the Prussian National Assembly and a mayor of Berlin.
A high point in his output was a graphic collection of Prussian castles under the title, Die ländlichen Wohnsitze, Schlösser und Residenzen der ritterschaftlichen Grundbesitzer in der preussischen Monarchie nebst den königlichen Familien-, Haus-Fideicommiss- und Schatull-Gütern in naturgetreuen, künstlerisch ausgeführten, farbigen Darstellungen nebst begleitendem Text (in English: The rural residences, castles, and palaces of the knightly landowners in the Prussian monarchy, along with the royal families estates, fideicommissum estates, and private sovereign estates, depicted in lifelike, artistically executed, colorful illustrations with accompanying text) appearing from 1857 to 1883.[1]
The series of 320 signatures in 16 volumes included 960 color lithographs measuring 20x15 cm.[1] The collection is especially valuable for its pictorial record of numerous stately buildings from the old eastern German lands, many of which were destroyed during and after World War II when these regions were transferred to Poland and the Soviet Union.
Another large project was an edition of the political correspondence of Frederick the Great, which by Duncker's death had appeared in 24 volumes – eventually totaling 46 volumes by 1939 when it was interrupted by the second world war. The project resumed with the issue of volume 47 in 2003.
Dora Duncker: Das Haus Duncker. Ein Buchhändlerroman aus dem Biedermeier. Berlin 1918 (mainly about Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Duncker)
Peter-Michael Hahn und Hellmut Lorenz (Ed.): Herrenhäuser in Brandenburg und der Niederlausitz. Kommentierte Neuausgabe des Ansichtenwerks von Alexander Duncker (1857–1883). Nicolai, Berlin 2000, ISBN3-87584-024-0, Volume 1 Introduction, Volume 2 Catalog
Soetemann, Christel: Alexander Dunckers 'Ländliche Wohnsitze, Schlösser und Residenzen der Preußischen Monarchie'. Tausend Veduten zwischen Tilsit und Trier. from: Lüneburger Beiträge zur Vedutenforschung. Edited Eckhard Jäger. Lüneburg: Verlag Nordostdeutsches Kulturwerk, 1983. pp. 173–210
Loeck, Gottfried: Alexander Dunckers Werk über die ländlichen Wohnsitze der ritterschaftlichen Grundbesitzer Preußens - eine wertvolle Quelle zur pommerschen Geschichte. from: Baltische Studien - Pommersche Jahrbücher für Landesgeschichte. Edited by Gesellschaft für pommersche Geschichte, Altertumskunde und Kunst e.V ., Vol. 82, pp. 99–119.
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