Karl Baedeker 'father of modern tourism'. In 1846, Baedeker introduced his famous 'star' ratings (for sights, attractions and lodgings) in the third edition of his "Handbuch für Reisende durch Deutschland und den Oesterreichischen Kaiserstaat" - an idea based on the Murray guides star system. This edition was also his first 'experimental' red guide. He also decided to call his travel guides 'handbooks', following the example of John Murray III. Baedeker's early guides had tan covers, but from 1856 onwards, Murray's red bindings and gilt lettering became the familiar hallmark of all Baedeker guides as well, and the content became famous for its
Baedeker he published his first offering—10,000 copies of "Schleswig-Holstein". This was printed in Glückstadt near Hamburg and contained some advertising to balance the books, as did some of his other contemperaneous titles. Allen & Unwin, the London publisher, once again helped the Baedeker firm with another loan and he published more city and regional guides in the years that followed. In 1951, Karl Friedrich and Oskar Steinheil, a pre-war Baedeker editor, signed an agreement with Shell AG, the subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, and Kurt Mair (1902–1957), the German printer and publisher based in Stuttgart, to produce a series of motoring