„Es ist dies der Ausfluß meines ‚in sich lebens‘ gegenüber des äußeren Gesellschaftslebens“

Aus dem Tagebuch eines Gemischtwarenhändlers

Abstract

The diary of Alexander Haidentaller, the owner of a small general store, presents an extraordinary primary source. It allows the social historian to gain rare insight into the life of a merchant and follow the monologue of an ordinary man who kept a diary and recorded his own reflections over the period of several decades. Haidentaller wrote about the trials and joys of his private life, he wrote about his business, his finances and about political events. He also wrote about his extended family and about his own health and state of mind. The diaries fill eleven volumes and consist of more than 4,000 handwritten pages. The entries cover the years from 1903 to 1946. The diaries illustrate both the author’s wish to document his daily experiences and his desire for permanent self-reflection.