Here is a German chess set in the Staunton pattern, which is possibly a copy of the chess set which was illustrated as an engraving in the 1885 catalogue of Schachhandel Adolf Roegner from Leipzig. So far I have not been able to find an original, and I don't know anyone who knows of an original, so I commissioned - before I acquired this set - a reproduction of the chess set under the working title "1885 Leipzig Augustea Klub-Schach". The name "Augustea" refers to the Leipzig chess club "Augustea", which was one of the leading chess clubs in Germany in the 19th century. From Roegner's catalogue description it can be seen that he presented the design, which was worked out by a renowned atelier, to a committee of experts of the "Augustea" chess club, who rated the set as "splendid". In any case, the present Staunton set shows a very strong correspondence with the set shown in the catalogue, even if it is not identical in every detail. Especially the shape of the knights is strikingly different.Furthermore, the original is said to have been weighted with lead, while the set at hand is unweighted. However, the set was offered by Roegner in different sizes and possibly different qualities, so that it cannot be ruled out that the different sizes and qualities also showed differences in design.  This is not completely unknown, as we know from Schmitthenner pieces from the same period, for example, which show significant differences between the different sizes. A further indication that the present set is either an original or at least closely related to the original is the fact that its history can be traced back to Leipzig. The present pieces come from the House of Conrady in Miltenberg, the former Mildenburg stables, the castle above the village of Miltenberg, at the foot of which the house is located. It was last owned by the recently deceased Dr. Ludwig Blanck-Conrady. The house was formerly owned by Wilhelm Conrady, who lived from 1829 to 1903. Wilhelm Conrady was a lawyer and later Reichslimeskomissar.  He was the nephew and heir of Friedrich Gustav Habel, the former owner of the Mildenburg castle. Wilhelm Conrady had no children. Therefore his property passed to other parts of the family at his death. One of these family members was August Conrady, who was a famous sinologist. He studied and received his doctorate in Würzburg, but then habilitated at the University of Leipzig in 1891, where he taught as an associate professor from 1896 and as a full professor from 1922. The Conrady house in Miltenberg, from which the chess set originated, was August Conrady's summer residence.
The pieces are made of boxwood, one side is ebonized. The height of the king is 10 cm.