In 1948 Budzinski revised his 1924 wordless novel, Totentanz, and retitled it giving more emphasis to his heroine meeting and defeating The Grim Reaper. He reused 6 of the 8 images from the 1924 publication to produce a more easily read wordless story and added a new introduction by a different author.
wordless narrative, Totentanz, vs his later
1948 edition on the right.
Title: Der Sieg des Lebens (Auch ein Totentanz) translated:The Victory Of Life (Also A Dance Of Death)
- Author: Robert Budzinski
- Illustrator: Robert Budzinski
- Introduction: Hanns Heeren
- Date of publication: 1948
- Publisher: Otto Dikreiter
- Place of publication: Hanover
- Printer: C. W. Niemeyer in Hameln
- Copyright: Artist?
- Dimensions:
- Folder: 25.2 x 19 cm (9 7/8 x 7 1/2″)
- Individual sheets: 24 x 18cm (9 7/16 x 7 1/16″)
- Images: 17.5 x 12cm (all are roughly the same size). These are the same size as the 1924 edition.
- Contents:
- folder made of thin card with a print pasted on the front (this print was image #2 in the 1924 edition)
- a folded double page
- containing a title page
- a one-page introduction by Hans Heering, and
- a numbered limitation page
- 6 sheets tell the story (the 1924 edition used 8 sheets)
- Language: German titles, etc
- Paginated: unpaginated
- Printed: each sheet is printed single-sided
- Edition: limited to 185 numbered copies
- Appears to have been printed from the original woodblocks
- Description: The six prints are each signed in pencil by the artist.
Lebens, showing Death approaching a despondent-looking woman.
Condition issue of the print on the cover
A number of copies show foxing to varying degrees on the print pasted to the front of the folder. As an aside, the print on the front cover, unlike the prints inside the folder, is unsigned but typically has a light pencil number in the lower-right corner corresponding to the copy number on the limitation page.
Sieg des Lebens, showing the title page.
Der Sieg des Lebens, showing the title page and the limitation page.
Budzinski’s 1948 wordless narrative, Der Sieg des Lebens,
showing that this is copy 51 out of 185.
Translation of the above limitation page:
Seventh printing of the collector’s editions
published by Otto Dikreiter in Hanover for Hanns Heeren
and his friends.
The portfolio was printed in 1948 by C. W. Niemeyer
in Hameln; every single sheet is hand-
signed by the artist.
A one-time edition of 185 pieces was produced,
which are numbered consecutively.
Number ______
NOTE: the reference to “Seventh printing” does not mean this is the 7th printing of Der Sieg des Lebens. It means it is the 7th publication in Otto Dikreiter’s collector’s series.
Condition issues of the limitation page
A number of copies show an acid burn on the limitation page. This appears to come from acids in the paper of the prints, not from an acidic folder.
Der Sieg des Lebens by Hanns Heering printed on
the reverse side of the title page and limitation page.
Condition issues of the prints
Prints in a number of copies appear to have some toning, suggesting the paper used for the prints may have some acidity.
des Lebens. All six images are signed in pencil.
edition to retell the wordless story in the 1948
Der Sieg des Lebens by Robert Budzinski.
NOTE: Image #2 from 1924 was used on the cover of the 1948 publication and not as part of the story. Image #6 from 1924 was deleted entirely.
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