Sammlung Jüdischer Geschichten, welche sich mit diesem Volk in dem XIII. und folgenden Jahrhunderten bis auf MDCCLXII in der Schweitz von Zeit zu Zeit zugetragen. Zur Beleuchtung der allgemeinen Historie dieser Nation aus bewährten Schrifft-Stellern und Urkunden. Second edition.

Zurich, (Nicolaus Köllner, Basel for) Johannes Hofmeister an der Rosengass, 1770. With engr. frontispiece, 3 engr. plates (1 folding), and engr. vignette in the text by and after Johann Rudolph Holzhalb and Johann Balthasar Bullinger. 8 leaves, 504 pp. 4to. Orig. wrappers, uncut (rebacked, part of backstrip laid down, rubbed). In half morocco folder with 2 spine labels. Zurich, (Nicolaus Köllner, Basel for) Johannes Hofmeister an der Rosengass, 1770. First Zurich reissue ("Titelauflage", i.e. second edition of the 1768 Basel first edition) of this unsurpassed chronicle of Jewish life in Switzerland from the 13th century to 1762. The author, J. C. Ulrich (1705-1768), a minister in Zurich, was an expert on Jewish culture and religion. His knowledge was acquired during a lengthy stay with Christian Gottlieb Fromann in Bremen, who had converted to Christianity, and with Jewish scholars in Hamburg, Altona, and Berlin. His work, which he arranged by cantons, is mostly based on source material from the town archives of Zurich. That city's relation to the Jewish population is described in detail. The chronicle is dedicated to the mayor of Zurich, Johann Jakob Leu, author of a Swiss historical encyclopaedia, who had supported Ulrich's work. Ulrich's method is very thorough, he tried to consult as many sources as possible to support his conclusions. His view is unbiased, and he can be considered the first Swiss authority on the subject. His aim is to serve the Jewish population by presenting them with their own history as there is no other written record. The plates show the synagogues of Lengnau and Endingen (old Jewish communities in Switzerland), and the Jewish cemetery in Surbtal. The allegorical frontispiece shows 'Helvetia' enthroned, surrounded by Jews standing or kneeling, the village of Lengnau and its synagogue visible in the background. - Plates and text slightly foxed, somewhat browned, on the whole a good copy in the original publisher's wrappers. - Cf. Haller III, 9 (only first ed. of 1768); Lonchamp 3058; Fürst III, 459 (erroneous date of 1769); Rothschild, J. C. Ulrich von Zürich ... (1933), 221-222 (note 1); Weldler/Steinberg, Geschichte der Juden in der Schweiz (1967) I, 80-83; Feller/Bonjour 438f. JUDAICA ; HELVETICA: ALLGEMEIN ; HISTORY ;