Karl Wilhelm Hiersemann (1854-1928) was born into a family of farmers in Bortewitz (Saxony) and moved to Leipzig to train as a bookseller. There, he attended the booksellers' school and worked at List & Francke. Subsequently, he went to London, where he worked for the antiquarian booksellers David Nutt and Trübner & Co. However, a few years later, he returned to Leipzig to work at KF Koehler's Antiquarium. Having gained experience in the trade, he decided to establish his own business in 1884. This venture achieved great international success and became an antiquarian bookshop specialising in old and rare books.