Perthes

Perthes, FRIEDRICH CHRISTOPH, German publisher, was born at Rudolstadt, 21st April 1772, learned his business in Leipzig, and started on his own account in Hamburg in 1796, and soon pushed himself into the front rank of German publishers. An ardent patriot, he in 1810 started the National Museum, with contributions from the most influential writers of the day, and took an active personal part in resisting the establishment of French authority in Hamburg and Germany. Having built up his business again during the first years of peace, he removed in 1821 to Gotha. There his greatest publication was the historical series of works on all European nations, edited by Heeren, Ukert, and Giesebrecht. He died at Gotha, 18th May 1843. See Life (6th ed. 1872; Eng. trans. 1878) by his son Clemens Theodor.—JOHANN GEORG JUSTUS PERTHES (1749-1816), an uncle to Friedrich, established a publishing-house at Gotha in 1785, which has acquired in the hands of his sons a great reputation as a geographical institute; it issues Petermann's Mitteilungen, Stieler's Atlas, numerous books of travel and geography, and the Almanach de Gotha.