The leading reviews to-day are :—Revue des deux Mondes (1829), Nouvelle Revue (1879), Revue bleue (1863), Revue de Paris (1894), Le Mercure de France (189o), Revue de France (1871), Revue Hebdomadaire (1892) and Chronique des Lettres francaises (1922).
The Acta Eruditorum (1682), the earliest of German periodi cals, as has been mentioned above, was not only limited in the choice of subjects to mathematics, physics and botany, but was also handicapped by the use of the Latin language. Nevertheless, German men of science, like Leibnitz, the botanist Ettmiiller, and the mathematician Pfautz combined to make the Acta a central meeting ground where the results of their researches might be read. The plan turned out so successful that others decided to try the same experiment. In consequence, a large number of similar journals issued from the press. Christian Thomasius, professor in the University of Halle and the founder of journalism in Ger many, led the way with the first learned periodical in the German language. Schertz- und Ernsthaffter Vernfinftiger und Einfiiltiger Gedanken fiber allerhand lustige und niitzliche Bucher und Fragen (1688). Twenty years later, soon after the English periodicals of Addison and Steele had reached Hamburg, the Germans taking these, especially the Spectator and the Guardian, as models brought out Der Vernunftler (1713), Die Lustige Fama (1718), Discoursen der Maier (1721). But the culminating point was reached when F. Nicolai introduced his Brief e die neueste Literatur betreffend (1759) to the world, and enlisted as collaborators Less ing and Mendelssohn. Nicolai offered a yearly prize of 5o thalers for the best tragedy, an early example of rewards offered by a periodical. This move had a considerable influence on the dra matic literature in Germany in those days. The Frankfurter Gelehrten Anzeigen (1772) formerly Frankfurter Gelehrte Zeitung (1736) followed a few years later and is chiefy interesting because Goethe wrote for it as a young man, and similarly the Jenaische Litteratur-Zeitung (1804) of which Goethe may be said to have acted as editor in chief. But Der Teutsche Mercur (1773-89) stands out more prominently than most of the preceding, and its appearance marks a further stage in the history of this branch of literature.
Germany, split up as she was into a variety of states, was just beginning to show signs of an awakening to a new political con sciousness, while editors and writers were forced to note events in the world beyond their boundaries and to discuss politics. The happenings in America and France drove them into new currents of thought. When at last the century was drawing to a close, politics were displacing literary matter in the pages of the periodical so completely that the editor of Minerva (1792) wrote "the best poems are unread ; men are craving for the journals to satisfy their political appetite." Fifty years later, after the Revolution of 1848, the periodical in Germany as everywhere else underwent another phase. Editors with a view to increasing their circulation appealed to a wider public of intelligent readers for support. The magazines became more attractive and their matter lighter. Among these may be cited IV esternuznns Monatshefte (1856), Unsere Zeit (1857), Gar tenlaube (1853). The number of monthly publications has gone on increasing ever since, until at the present moment they may be reckoned in thousands. The trend of development does not differ much from that in other countries, while the reading public of Germany is less given to this form of literature than in England.
The best known are the Preussische Jahrbiicher (1838), the Deutsche Rundschau (1874), Historische Zeitschrift (1859), Neue Rundschau (1889), Die Literatur (1898), and Deutsche V ierteljahrsschrif t ( I 923 ).