A Look at Iranian Printing Houses in Germany During the Qajar and Pahlavi Eras (A Case Study of the Available Resources in Ayatollah Boroujerdi Library)

The history of the first printed Persian book does not significantly relate to the introduction of the printing and publishing industry in Iran. The printing of Persian books in European countries and its precedence over Iran has a long history. This article focuses on Persian books and magazines printed in Germany, especially at two prominent printing houses: "Kaviani" and "Iranshahr." These printing houses were established and operated by a group of young Iranians with the goal of spreading new ideas and promoting development based on modern world standards. One of their achievements was the preservation and revival of valuable and authentic Iranian texts, protecting them from oblivion and destruction. A review of the resources from these printing houses, particularly Kaviani and Iranshahr, indicates that they were among the top printing houses in terms of equipment and facilities, utilizing the best typefaces and the most advanced machinery available in European printing houses. Their typefaces were sourced from renowned type foundries in Germany. The use of high-quality paper and the application of color in miniatures and photographs were other notable features. At the end of this writing, to facilitate access to German-printed books in contemporary libraries, the resources available in Ayatollah Boroujerdi Library (Qom) are examined, and an inventory of available resources in this library is provided.