Likutei Amarim Tanya – Johannisburg, 1851 – Printed in Prussia, for Russian Jewry

Likutei Amarim Tanya – Johannisburg, 1851 – Printed in Prussia, for Russian Jewry

Likutei Amarim – Tanya, by Rebbe Shneur Zalman of Liadi. [Johannisburg: Gonshorowski, 1848?].
Ownership inscription.
72 ff. 18.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Marginal tears and wear to title page and additional leaves. Worming to inner margins, affecting text. Inscriptions. Stamps. Gilt edges. New binding.
Mondshein, Sefer HaTanya, Bibliography, XIV, p. 73. Imprint according to the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book, 000170983.

Prussian Editions Edition of the Tanya
Although just a handful of Chassidim resided in Prussia, three editions of the Tanya were printed in Königsberg during the early 1840s. The circumstances that led to the printing of Hebrew books in the Kingdom of Prussia, intended for Russian Jewry, were described by Secretary of Rebbe Rayatz, the bibliographer R. Chayim Lieberman, who wrote:
"During that period – following the Printer's Decree of 1836 [which forbade the printing of Hebrew books in all territories of the Russian Empire, except for the city of Vilna] – Hebrew printing presses were established in the state of Prussia, in cities bordering with the Russian state of Lithuania, such as: Königsberg, Johannisburg, Memel, and Danzig. Initially, these printing presses were not intended to serve German Jewry, but the Jews of Russia. Books which the printers intended to legally export to Russia, i.e., through customs, censorship, etc., were printed with regular title pages, bearing the printer's name, and correct place and date of publication. However, for different reasons, some books were printed in order to be smuggled into Russia; these books were printed without indication of the place of publication, the name of the printer or the date of publication; often, a fake, much earlier, date of publication was indicated, so that if the books will happen to be seized by the authorities, one will be able to argue that these are old books, printed many years before, in an unknown place." (Hebrew)
Therefore, according to Mondshein, it is impossible to establish which one of the three different Prussian Tanya editions was printed first, since the imprint appearing on the title pages is unreliable. It is clear, however, that these editions were printed soon after the Printer's Decree, in order to be smuggled across the border into Russia, whose Jewish population thirsted for the Tanya (Mondshein, Sefer HaTanya, Bibliography, p. 72).
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.