 The first six volumes of the encyclopedia, published under the title "Illustrirtes Thierleben", appeared from 1864 to 1869, published by the Bibliographisches Institut under Herrmann Julius Meyer.Illustrated under the direction of Robert Kretschmer (1818–1872), they met with wide approval from the educated bourgeoisie.As of the second edition, which consisted of ten volumes published from 1876 to 1879, the work was already titled "Brehms Tierleben".