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The German language belongs to the Western Germanic Group of the Indo-European language family along with English, Frisian, and Dutch. German is the official language of German and Austria as well as one of the Official languages of Switzerland. "The recorded history of Germanic languages begins with their speakers’ first contact with the Romans, in the 1st century BCE. The history of the German language dates back over a thousand years, evolving from the early Germanic languages spoken by tribes in Central Europe. The earliest form of the language, known as Old High German (OHG), was spoken roughly between 500 and 1050 AD. This period saw significant regional variation, with different dialects emerging as the tribes spread across the continent. During the Middle Ages, the language continued to evolve, with influences from Latin due to the Christianization of the Germanic peoples, and from French as a result of cultural contact. The transition to Middle High German (MHG) occurred between 1050 and 1350, during which the language became more standardized in written form, especially in religious and literary texts.
 

The early Modern German language emerged in the 16th century, partly due to the influence of Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible into German. Luther’s work helped shape a more unified, standardized version of the language that spread through printing presses and education. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the development of a unified standard German was further promoted by intellectuals, writers, and educators. The establishment of German as a standard national language became a defining feature of the modern state, particularly after the unification of Germany in 1871. Throughout the 20th century and beyond, German continued to evolve with the rise of new media and globalization, yet it remains rooted in its historical dialectal and regional variations.



There are approximately 95 million native speakers and 85 million second language speakers throughout the the world.

German

To learn more about the German language, Click Here, Here, and Here.

To hear the 1st paragraph of the 1st book, Click Here.  

The first edition German books were first published in hardcover by Carlsen Verlag in 1998. The books were translated by Klaus Fritz with original cover art by Sabine Wilharm. Softcover editions featuring the same cover art were also released after the first editions. Many, many editions published by Carlsen Verlag and book clubs have been published over the years, with the most recent being a beautiful all-in-one volume of all 7 books for the 25th Anniversary. Most of the covers of the German books are unique to Germany alone and are all very beautiful.

(Pre-Movie)
Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen
(Pre-Movie)
Harry Potter und der Gefangene von Askaban
Harry Potter und der Feuerkelch
ISBN: 978355155672
ISBN: 9783551551696
ISBN: 3551551936
Harry Potter German 1st Edition 1st Print Premovie Philosopher's Stone Der Stein Der Weisen Book 1
Harry Potter German 1st Edition Later Print Philosopher's Stone Der Stein der Weisen Book 1; Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen
Harry Potter German 1st Edition Premovie Early Print Prisoner of Azkaban Book 3; Harry Potter und der Gefangene von Askaban
Harry Potter German Goblet of Fire Book 4; Harry Potter und der Feuerkelch
1st Ed. Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter und der Orden des Phönix
ISBN: 9783551555557
Harry Potter und der Halbblutprinz
ISBN: 9783551566669
Harry Potter und die Heiligtümer des Todes
ISBN: 9783551577771

There are some rare books I'll include below as they were produced by the publisher to hype up the release of the 1st edition books.

This "alt-cover" of book 6 shows what the cover of the 6th book almost looked like - this alt-cover and the final cover were voted on and the runner-up was placed on dust jacket on a small number of books which were shipped out to bookshops. These "alt-cover" books are actually dust jackets placed over a special edition of the book that has a page with a thank you note to booksellers with a pre-printed Rowling signature to the bottom of the note bound into the front of the book - this is not in the normal 1st edition.

Carlsen (publisher) allowed fans to vote on which cover they preferred - the cover with the most votes is the now the cover of the 1st edition.

This "cover-reveal" cover was sent out only to booksellers and has a special page bound into the front where the owner could put their name; this page is not the normal 1st edition. Again, the a dust jacket is used.

There is also an "alt-cover" for the 7th book; like the 6th, fans voted, the winning cover was made into the 1st edition cover art while the alt-cover was the runner-up. This alt-cover is quite rare.

ISBN: 9783551354013
Harry Potter German Softcover Edition with Sabine Wilharm cover art Philosopher's Stone Book 1; Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen
Unlike the hardcover 1st editions above, the softcover books have solid yellow spines and really dress up a shelf nicely. I currently don't own any of the softcover books from this edition, BUT they are really nice.
ISBN: 9783800092499
ISBN: 9783800092772
ISBN: 9783800092802

The first three books were also published in large print by publisher Ueberreuter.

In 2000, Carlsen published the first book in beautiful, unique "adult" cover art. These books were only published in hardcover and of the German books, are not too common, but also not considered very rare; they are really nice to have, however. This set is definitely one of my favorites among the many German editions.  

ISBN: 3551552002

Harry Potter Germa Adult Edition Philospher's Stone Stein der Weisen

ISBN: 3551552096

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Harry Potter German Adult Edition Prisoner of Azkaban Book 3; Harry Potter und der Gefangene von Askaban

ISBN: 355155210x

ISBN: 3551556008

There is not a box set of these books that I am aware of. BUT if you know differently, let me know!

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ISBN: 3551552533

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ISBN: 3551552975

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ISBN: 9783551557001

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There are a few German book clubs as well. I do not know of any after the 4th book. I really enjoy the book club cover art :)

German Book Clubs
Harry Potter German Wizard Hat Edition Der Club Book Club Edition Hardcover Philosopher's Stone der Stein der Weisen

ISBN: 054866

I love this the cover of this German translation; from the moment, I saw it, I KNEW I had to own one--I mean, LOOK AT IT :) Anyway, this book too was printed before the movie (2000), which again you'll notice the font difference.  Published by GGP Media GmbH, Pößneck. It seems like the hardest part of getting this particular edition is finding someone who will ship outside of Germany. So, make sure to ask your seller before purchasing.

Here we have other early Book Club Editions, but I'm unsure which book club these are attached to. The first three books have "pre-movie" font. These books are around, more so on German e-commerce sites than US ones. These book club editions (book 1 anyway) are a bit more common than the above, which I honestly think is mainly now because the above is just a prettier book, causing the demand to be higher for it than these 4. All the same, I love the borders around the cover art.​​

Harry Potter German Book Club Edition Philosopher's Stone Stein der Weisen Book 1
1st Ed. Softcover

Carlsen has released some of the loveliest Harry Potter sets, in my opinion. Always wonderful, distinct cover art and attention to detail throughout. They really are magnificent.

This box set consists of only books 1 - 4. The front covers of this set look very similar to the 1st edition softcovers, with the exception of the light green border. The spines, though, make up a wonderful picture of Harry. The back covers also bear illustrations pertaining to that particular book. These books, as far as I know, were not sold separately. You can find them now without a box, but that is probably because the box was thrown out sometime in the past. The box for this set has wonderful illustrations and has the bar code for the set on the bottom.

 

ISBN: 3551553009

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Like this above set, published in 2010, has illustrations on the spine and back covers. They were not sold independently, so if you'd like this one, you more than likely have to buy the set. The front covers look similar to the 1st editions, only the border is turquoise/teal AND there are no title words -- just stand-alone illustrations. The box for my set was lost before it ever came to me, so I cannot speak to the box art, but I'm sure it's lovely, like everything else they produce. 

 

ISBN: 9783551553492

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This beautiful Spell Box Set is aptly named because it has spells on the side edge -- so very creative! It was publishing in 2013 by Carlsen.  And while the box has beautiful art as well, like the other boxes by Carlsen, it's prone to tearing at the joints.

ISBN: 9783551313102

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Checkout my YouTube Video!

Spell Box Set
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The German "Rainbow" box set is one that is favorite among Harry Potter collectors, and it's easy to see why with its vibrant colors, minimal yet fun spine art and charming covers. Like the rest of the German books, when I first saw this set, I KNEW I had to buy it - and I did with the help of a wonderful Potterhead from Germany! I'll post the individual book photos as soon as I can. For those wanting to see a glimpse of the covers, I have a few pictures of them up on my Instagram.

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I'll post more information on this set as soon as I can as well.

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Alongside having beautiful 1 - 7 sets, Carlsen has produced lovely special editions of the 1st book as well, each of these 3 were illustrated by Sabine Wilharm. I look forward to more similar editions of this book.

German Special Editions
2015 Special Edition Harry Potter German Philosopher's Stone Stein der Weisen Book 1

ISBN: 9783551315120

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ISBN: 9783551317254

ISBN: 9783551320117

ISBN: 9783551559012

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ISBN: 9783551559029

ISBN: 9783551559036

ISBN: 9783551559043

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ISBN: 9783551559050

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ISBN: 9783551558312

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ISBN: 9783551558329

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ISBN: 9783551558336

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Carlsen Verlag also published the German translations in the Jim Kay illustrated edition as well as the MinaLima interactive edition. 

ISBN: 9783551557414

ISBN: 9783551557421

ISBN: 9783551557438

ISBN: 9783551557445

ISBN 9783551557452

ISBN 9783551557469

20th Anniversary Edition
German 20th Anniversary Edition Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen
German 20th Anniversary Edition Harry Potter an the Chamber of Secrets; Harry Potter und die Kammer des Schreckens
German 20th Anniversary Edition Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; Harry Potter und der Gefangene von Askaban

ISBN 9783551557476

The German 20th Anniversary Books were published by Carlsen Verlag in 2018. Unlike most other German books, a different illustator, Iacopo Bruno, illustrated the books, and I think he did a great job! Also, this edition was revised in certain places to help continuity. All 7 books available at Carlsen.de. The box set (and the books in it) has a different ISBN: 978551557407. The books in this set also have the ISBN as the box and do not have back bar codes/prices.​​​

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Carlsen, the publisher of the German Potter books, not to be outdone for their 25th Anniversary edition, published a mega - book in 2023: all 7 books in one volume! The book weighs OVER 5 and 1/2 pounds.... this one book weighs more than some box sets. And it is a BIG book - and definitely one of my favorites. Again, original cover art and beautiful execution. Carlsen are just amazing publishers.

To see my video about the book, Click Here.

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ISBN: 9783551557483

Low German, also known as Plattdeutsch, is a West Germanic language spoken mainly in northern Germany and parts of the Netherlands. Its roots trace back to Old Saxon, a language spoken by the Anglo-Saxons and the Frisians during the early Middle Ages. It evolved alongside High German, with both languages branching from the same Germanic family. Low German was the dominant language of northern Europe through the Middle Ages, especially in trade and commerce, due to the region’s economic power and extensive trade networks. Over time, however, the language began to diverge more sharply from High German, influenced by the distinct phonetic changes that characterized High German in the early modern period.

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The decline of Low German began in the 17th century, as High German gained prominence, particularly with the standardization of the language and its use in literature, politics, and education. The spread of the printing press and the rise of the nation-state reinforced High German as the language of culture and administration, pushing Low German into a more localized, rural context. Despite this, Low German persisted as a spoken language, although it gradually lost ground in favor of Standard German. Today, while the language is still spoken by some, especially in rural areas, it is considered endangered, with efforts underway to revitalize and preserve it through education and cultural initiatives.

To hear the 1st paragraph of the 1st book read in Low German, Click Here.

The 1st Edition Low German translations of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, published by Verlag Michael Jung in 2002. This translation is increasingly becoming scarce, especially at a decent price. I'm assuming, given the lower number of speakers and social status of the language that this book wasn't widely printed or distributed. Only the 1st 2 books were published.

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The Low German books are becoming increasingly hard to find, even in Germany (where they were published). he print run was more than likely low (especially compared to the much, much more common German books), and with new collectors entering the marketplace, these Low German books are becoming quite scarce. As far as value, I am not sure as I've not seen a sale in a bit, but I would think anywhere around $200+ for the first book. 

Low German
Harry Potter Low German Philosopher's Stone Wunnersteen Book 1
Harry Potter Low German Grulig Kamer Chamber of Secrets Book 2

Harry Potter un de Wunnersteen

ISBN: 9783898820127

Harry Potter un de Grulig Kamer

ISBN: 3898820181

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