One of the most popular books of the 18th century was Preparation for World History for Children (1779) by August Ludwig von Schlözer (17351809). The historian and publicist took the view that children should be confronted with learned knowledge as early as possible. His history book was by no means intended only for teaching his sons, but also for that of his daughters, so that they, "16 years old, can read the newspapers and take proper notice of the course of the world". Schlözer's "WeltGeschichte" is intended for "child teachers" a key text of the Enlightenment and history didactics, which for this new edition has been thoroughly revised, commented on in detail and provided with a history-didactic introduction and a bio-bibliographical afterword.
