Deutsche Gesellschaft in Königsberg German Society in Königsberg

Founding of the Society
Year	Authority / Notes
1741 - 1939	According to Rauter (1970), p.183, this Society was founded in 1741 as the Deutsche Gesellschaft by Cölestin Christian Flottwell following suggestions and recommendations of Johann Christoph Gottsched (1700-1766). The Society came under the protection of Frederick II in 1743, becoming the Königliche Deutsche Gesellschaft. According to Rauter (1970), pp.205-206, a second Society was founded in 1743, the Freye Gesellschaft zu Königsberg by Christian Heinrich Gütther, as a result of an internal division in the Deutsche Gesellschaft in Königsberg (founded 1741). The two rival societies existed side-by-side until 1788, when they merged to form one Deutsche Gesellschaft (Rauter (1970), p.209), retaining the name of the 1741 Society. Rauter (1970), p.180 indicates that the Society still existed in the last decade of the 19th century, then existed as a lecture society until the outbreak of the Second World War; so we take the cessation date to be 1939.
Seat of the Society
City	Authority / Notes
Königsberg Germany	This location is supported by the name of the Society.
Name of the Society
Dates	Name	Authority
1741 - 1743	Deutsche Gesellschaft in Königsberg	Rauter (1970), p.183 gives the founding year; p.183 gives the start date of the new name;
1743 - 1939	Königliche Deutsche Gesellschaft in Königsberg = Königliche Deutsche Gesellschaft zu Königsberg	Rauter (1970), p.183 gives the start year of this name; its publications confirm this name, but suggest that in 1754 the first word may have read Köngliche; Rauter (1970), p.183 says the Society lasted until the outbreak of World War II. In various publications, the word zu is used in place of in.

Journals of the Society
Years	Full Journal Title	Abbrev.
1754 (Sammlung 1)   A	Der Könglichen Deutschen Gesellschaft in Königsberg eigene Schriften in ungebundener und gebundener Schreibart All three records in the GBV German Union cat. give the second word as Könglichen. Continued by B. Indexed Reuss [GBV German Union cat.]	Schr. der Deutschen Gesellsch. zu Königsberg [Reuss, v.4, p.280 cites Samml.1.] Schriften der Deutschen Gesellsch. zu Königsberg [Reuss, v.9, p.21 cites Samml.1.]
1771 (Sammlung 2)   B	Abhandlungen und Poesien The series note in a record in the GBV German Union cat. reads: Der Deutschen Gesellschaft zu Königsberg eigene Schriften in ungebundener und gebundener Schreibart ; [2]. Continues A. Indexed Reuss [GBV German Union cat.]	Schriften der Deutschen Gesellsch. zu Königsberg [Reuss, v.9, p.22 cites Samml.2.]
1830 - 1838 (1. - 4.)   C	Historische und literaerische Abhandlungen der Königlichen Deutschen Gesellschaft zu Königsberg The record in the GBV German Union cat. indicates that vol.1 (1830) was entitled: Historische und litterarische Abhandlungen der Königlichen Deutschen Gesellschaft zu Königsberg. [GBV German Union cat.]
1896/1899 - 1899/1926 [i.e. pub. 1899 - 1926]   D	Sitzungsberichte der Königlichen Deutschen Gesellschaft in Königsberg : nebst einem Verzeichnis der Mitglieder [GBV German Union cat.]
1929 - 1937[?] (1. - 13.)   E	Schriften der Königlichen Deutschen Gesellschaft zu Königsberg [GBV German Union cat.]