Karl Baedeker died, the "Pall Mall Gazette" described a Baedeker guidebook as being "singularly accurate", and in the English version of Jacques Offenbach's musical "La Vie parisienne" this memorable lyric rings out: "Kings and governments may err / But never Mr. Baedeker." Towards the end of his life, Baedeker told friends that he regretted not having accomplished more in his life and wondered whether his work would survive. Little did he know that the name Baedeker would one day become a synonym for a travel guide, whatever its provenance, and that Verlag Karl Baedeker, which still exists and continues to bear his
Baedeker in English, the handbook on "The Rhine" (from Switzerland to Holland), a guide in German on Italy ("Ober-Italien"), the first of a series on Italy, which his father had planned and one in French, also on Italy ("Italie septentrionale"). Ernst Baedeker died unexpectedly on 23 July 1861 of sunstroke in Egypt and his younger brother, Karl, assumed charge of the publishing house. 1861−1877: Karl Baedeker II (1837−1911) continued the work started by his brother Ernst. In addition to the ongoing revision of existing guides, he published 14 new guides: four in German, seven in English and three in French. viz.