Book excerpt: This work presents the only comprehensive collection of this fascinating material. Whereas earlier attempts by others have been limited either to individual broadsheet collections or to selected topics, this 11-volume collection reproduces all known extant German political broadsheets of the 17th century along with their numerous variant editions. In all, over 3000 broadsheets are reproduced in full-page size, and for each one all known copies are cited. Two decade's work has been needed to draw this material from over 180 libraries, museums, archives, and private collections in seventeen countries. At least 80% of the broadsheets reproduced in these volumes have never appeared in print since the 17th century. Many of them are extremly rare; over 30% are extant in only one or two copies.