Canstein, Karl Hildebrand, Baron Von

Canstein, Karl Hildebrand, Baron von, was born Aug. 15, 1667, at Lindenburg, in Germany, studied law at Frankfort on the Oder. traveled nmach in Europe, and in 1688 was appointed page of the elector of Brandenburg. He afterward served as a volunteer in the Netherlands. A dangerous sickness obliged him to leave the military service, and led him to a religious life, in which he was greatly helped by Spener (q.v.). His wish to spread the Bible among the poor led him to form the idea of printing it with stereotype plates. Thus originated the famous institution, called in German Die Cansteinsche Bibelanstalt. He lived to see 100,000 Testaments and 40,000 Bibles sold from the establishment. It is still continued on a very large scale; the books are furnished at cost prices (about twenty-five cents for the Bible and eight for the Testament). Up to 1854, 4,612,000 Bibles and 2,630,000 Testaments had been sold. He edited a 'Harmonie der 4 Evangelisten (2d ed. 1727, fol.), and also wrote Lebensbeschreibung Speners (Life of Spener), the edition of which by Lange, 1740, contains a biography of Canstein, who died at Halle, Aug. 19, 1719. See also Niemeyer, Geschichte der Cansteinschen Bibelanstalt (Halle, 1827, 8vo); Plath, Leben von Canstein (1861, 8vo); Bertram, Geschichte der Cansteinschen Bibelanstalt (1863, 8vo); Jahrbiicherf. Deutsche Theologie, 9:392. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 8:510; Herzog, Real-Encyklopdie, 2:552.