Dr. Hermann Herder (1864 - 1937)

Born in Freiburg, Hermann Herder (14.11.1864 – 19.10.1937) studied history at the University of Freiburg for several semesters. In addition to his studies, he saw military service in 1884, enlisting in the 5th Baden Infantry Regiment No. 113. He trained at the Wallau printing works in Mainz in 1885 in the field of publishing whereupon he returned to Freiburg to join his father's company, the Herdersche Verlag. He took over the company in 1888. Herder was involved himself in the life of the city a number of ways: he was a co-founder and, until 1920, also chairman of the Association of Catholic Booksellers, as well as being a member of the Freiburg Chamber of Commerce from 1908 and a city councillor from 1900 until 1918. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Freiburg in 1920 for his services. Herman Herder passed away on October 19th in 1937.

Herder had not acquired any of the objects, which he donated to the museum, himself but had received them from an unnamed, former proofreader at the Herder publishing house. The anonymous donor had brought the collection with him from Indonesia during his service as military pharmacist in the Dutch colonial army.