Die Strass zu Sankt Jakob – Der älteste deutsche Pilgerführer nach Santiago de Compostela

Price: Euro 14.00 (including 7% VAT) (subscription price until December 31, 2021) Euro 16.80 (including 7% VAT) (retail price from January 1, 2022)

The pilgrim guide from 1495 describes the route from Germany to Santiago de Compostela "at the end of the world." The author, Hermann Künig von Vach, names cities and landscapes, points out dangers, and highlights good places to stop. Thus, this little book represents a unique, early document of a centuries-old tradition that is still alive today. Santiago is now one of the most significant pilgrimage sites in the Christian world, alongside Rome and Jerusalem.

A knowledgeable introduction explains the history of James and Santiago de Compostela, discusses the significance of pilgrimage literature in general, and places Hermann Künig's work in the context of the cult of James.

The photographs were taken by Gerhard Weiss during a walking journey on the Camino de Santiago. His images are created sparingly, seeking the timeless and typical. Some of what these pictures show may have been seen by pilgrims half a millennium ago, but the photographer does not shy away from current references either.

The editors, Dr. Klaus Herbers, is a senior professor of Medieval History at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. Dr. Robert Plötz (†) was the director of the Lower Rhine Museum for Folklore in Kevelaer. Both have authored numerous contributions to the cult of James.

Photographer Gerhard Weiss lives as a freelance artist in Ötisheim. His medium-format images were taken during stages of the Camino de Santiago between 1996 and 2003.