The first volume of the German edition was published by Lehmann Verlag in Stuttgart. After publication of this first volume Lehmann sold the project to Alfred Kernen. Three language editions appeared, German, English and French, of which the last one remained very incomplete and was independantly published by Le Moult in Paris. During World War I publication stopped and it took several years to resume publication. Alfred Kernen died in 1924 and his son Otto took over the publishing house. During World War II publication stopped. The stock was moved to a church-attic and 2 barns in the Black Forest. In 1944 the publishing house was bombed and destroyed. Finally in 1954 volume IV of the German edition was completed and published, after this publication was abandoned.