-The Travels and Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Originally written in 1785 by Rudolf Erich Raspe and published anonymously, this work tells of the farfetched and fantastical adventures of Baron Munchausen. The character in Raspe’s work is based on a real life Baron Münchhausen, who fought with the Russians against the Turks and was known for telling exaggerated stories about his experiences. Among the fanciful stories are the Baron’s journey to the Moon and a trip to the imaginary Cucumber Island, where cucumbers grow on trees and strong storms rip these trees out of the ground. These stories gained more popularity when they were translated into German and expanded by Gottfried August Bürger. The Baron Munchausen stories were eventually turned into popular children’s chapbooks. On display is a later illustrated version of the stories.