Bibliomania

The term Bibliomanie (Greek: biblion = book mania = madness ) denotes an exaggerated passion for books that are hallmarks of an addiction has.

History

The collection is up to about 1700 a vanitas motif, something more reprehensible. Sebastian Brant's Ship of Fools is led by bibliophiles. The caption at Brant reads: " In the fools dance forward I go, I see a lot of books around me that I do not read and understand." - Lack of understanding and lack of discrimination be cited as negative characteristics of the books addiction.

The collection is enhanced only in the 18th century. Since then there has bibliophile that is, on the contrary presented as a virtue, because it is not optional and uncomprehending. Since that time the Bibliomanie as the reading addiction is similar to that described not as a vice but as a disease, and is also found in the medical literature.

Variants

For variants of Bibliomania there are the following names:

• Biblioklast (from Greek klastein = break ): someone who is obsessed by the desire to destroy books.
• Bibliokleptoman (from Greek kléptein = steal ): compulsive and impulsive stealing of books without material interest.
• Bibliopath (from Greek pathos = suffering): make someone sick books.
• Bibliophag (from Greek phagein = eat ): someone who books "eats " or literally devours.
• Bibliophob (from the Greek phobos = fear): someone who is afraid of books.
• Biblioskop (from Greek skopein = consider ): someone who leafs through books without reading.
• Bibliotaph (from Greek taphos = grave ): someone who compulsively hides his books and before the world hides ( " as the grave ").
• Bibliovers (from Latin versus = against ): someone who uses a purpose other books.

Known Bibliomanen

Bogus or true reports of criminal (books ) collectors are numerous. Its subject was the 18th/19th. Century often members of the clergy or the nobility. The first known case of a criminal Bibliomanen in Germany was the pastor Johann Georg Tinius. He embezzled church funds and committed several robbery attempts to finance his passion for collecting. For this he was sentenced in 1823 to twelve years in prison.

An example of a Bibliotaphen is the Comte de Lignerolles (1816-1893), who allegedly from 1848 completely retired (the year of the February Revolution ) from social life and to the elaboration and the care dedicated to his collection of books, which he in a dedicated account kept apartment in Paris. He passed his knowledge on to others and not even denied to have certain books. The extent and value of his collection started to appear, as the books were sold after his death.