Johann Gustav Gildemeister (1812–1890) was a well-known Orientalist of the 19th century, who became famous throughout Germany for his book on the pilgrimage to the "Heilige Rock" relic at Trier. The Bonn University Archive holds his bequest of letters that are going to be edited within the scope of a DFG funded project.The present volume is the result of a conference on the occasion of 200st birthday that took place in summer 2012. The contributions highlight the historic background of the most important periods in Gildemeister's life in Bremen, Marburg and Bonn. Furthermore they provide valuable information on different aspects of bourgeois life in the 19th century. Finally they present an overview over the development of Oriental Studies in that period of time. They therefore supply an important contribution the understanding of the letters and the historic frame in which they originated.