Nachtrag von Weitern Originalschritten welche die Illuminatensekte iiberhaupt. de Adam Weishaupt - 1787.

Nachtrag von Weitern Originalschritten welche die Illuminatensekte iiberhaupt.

"Supplement to the original writings concerning in general the Sect of the Illuminati and in particular its founder, Adam Weishaupt."

First Edition. Two parts in one volume. Small 8vo. Bound in original speckled mustard-colored boards; ½-backed brown leather; spine with raised bands and original gothic-lettered spine-label "Nachtrag der Illuminaten." Printed in München by Joseph Lentner, 1787. Text mainly in German (with occasional passages/words in Latin and French). With 5 fold-out letterpress tables and 2 woodcut decorative head-pieces. All edges rouged.

A superb, complete example of the scarce First Edition of one of the most important original publications on the infamous Bavarian Illuminati. This volume comprises documents confiscated by the Bavarian Elector from the Sandersdorf Castle in Bavaria, which belonged to high-ranking Illuminati member, Baron von Bassus. The first part of the volume contains the correspondence of the leading Illuminati, and the second part, their documents. Includes 'Druckfehler' (i.e. errata) on recto of the final leaf. (Wolfstieg, Bibliographie der freimaurerischen Literatur, 42773).

Included is the notoriously sinister passage often quoted to illustrate Illuminati's agenda of control and domination of the world's leadership. Also included is Adam Weishaupt's scandalous 1783 letter to Hertel, in which he admits an affair with his sister-in-law resulting in her pregnancy.

"Briefly, the background of the Bavarian Illuminati puzzle is this. On May 1, 1776, in Bavaria, Dr. Adam Weishaupt, a professor of Canon Law at Ingolstadt University and a former Jesuit, formed a secret society called the Order of the Illuminati within the existing Masonic lodges of Germany. Since Masonry is itself a secret society, the Illuminati was a secret society within a secret society, a mystery inside a mystery, so to say. In 1785 the Illuminati were suppressed by the Bavarian government for allegedly plotting to overthrow all the kings in Europe and the Pope to boot. This much is generally agreed upon by all historians. Everything else is a matter of heated, and sometimes fetid, controversy.

"It has been claimed that Dr. Weishaupt was an atheist, a Cabalistic magician, a rationalist, a mystic; a democrat, a socialist, an anarchist, a fascist; a Machiavellian amoralist, an alchemist, a totalitarian and an 'enthusiastic philanthropist.' (The last was the verdict of Thomas Jefferson, by the way.) The Illuminati have also been credited with managing the French and American revolutions behind the scenes, taking over the world, being the brains behind Communism, continuing underground up to the 1970s, secretly worshipping the Devil, and mopery with intent to gawk." (Anton Wilson, Cosmic Trigger: Final Secret of the Illuminati. pp. 3-4)

Ownership signature on front pastedown of Felix Maria Joseph Aigner von Aigenhofen, who was a hauptmann in Tirol (Austria), and a freemason. He is mentioned in Goethe's correspondence. Plus a 19th-century Austrian institutional stamp with a double-headed eagle to outer margin of title (somewhat faded and near illegible), and a small inventory label (cancelled), probably of the same institution, to top of front cover. Binding slightly rubbed, with some bumping to corners, and a 1-inch crack just starting at top of front joint. A ca. 1800 ownership inscription to front pastedown and a 19th-century institutional ink-stamp to outer margin of title. Occasional very light foxing. In all a clean and solid example of one of the foundational publications on the Illuminati.