Starting with recent historical and social science theories on the democratic social form of the association, Dirk Hempel begins by giving an overview of the development of literary associations in Germany, but also in Europe and the USA since the early modern era. His study also offers for the first time a typology of different literary association forms. The focus is on the study of numerous literary associations in Dresden in the 19th century. The study examines their organization and actors as well as the content of their activities.